A Holiday Without You
by RavenDiablo
Summary: This is a short story based on Strange Magic characters as they appear in my fanfic. It centers on everyone getting ready to celebrate their version of Christmas, but a bad chain of events threatens to ruin their holiday. This isn't your typical family get together, have a feast, song and dance for the holidays folks...I am going to rock your world! Enjoy and Happy Holidays!


A Holiday Without You

(A Strange Magic Fanfic Novella - Christmas 2016)

by

Raven Diablo

It was late December and it was unusually cold out even for the time of year. Temperatures very rarely went low enough to need more than something to cover the arms and legs. A coat? What was that? It was something that was never needed. But something was wrong, something was different this December of this year. It kept getting colder and colder outside. Both Dawn and Marianne were kept busy in Dawn's seamstress department making special thick dresses for the women, overcoats for the men and undergarments for the soldiers so that they could go out in the cold weather to still gather much needed supplies for the coming holiday event at the palace. King Dagda put a ban on going outdoors during the evening and overcast days when recently some of the soldiers came back suffering from hypothermia. Even though their bodies did generate heat on their own, butterfly fairies were cool blooded and needed to be kept warm. So they kept to their outdoor activities only when the sun was out which allowed them to keep warm by soaking up the sun's rays through their wings.

Being a different species and more warm blooded, Bog found he was able to hold his heat longer since his body temperature ran higher, but on such cold evenings, even he found he had to vibrate his wings to warm up before flying. Yesterday, he payed a visit to the Fairy Kingdom Palace with Stuff and Thang, Brutus, his mother and a group of other goblins to help prepare for the upcoming event. Last night was very cold and even though most of the goblins were warm blooded, many didn't have proper clothing, as such he ebbed on the side of safety and deemed it not safe to return to his castle and that they would spent the night at the palace.

Bog woke up in Marianne's bed the next day. It was a cold night and Marianne and himself hung up some extra curtains over her window to keep the heat in her room. They also had a very hot intimate evening together and that also helped to keep them warm. But to Bog, anytime getting intimate with his lover just felt good. He smiled as he thought about last night. Feeling a bit cold himself, he noticed that Marianne was not next to him in bed.

He said softly to himself, 'No wonder why I am cold, I don't have a warm body draped over me.'

He looked towards the bathroom door and it was slightly open. He didn't know if Marianne would be in there or not.

"Marianne?"

"I'm out here, hon," she said. Her voice sounded like she was shivering.

Bog followed her voice and it was coming from the other side of the curtains.

"Are you outside?"

"Yes, the sun is out and I am trying to warm up," she replied with her voice waving. There was a short pause before she said, "Could you come...please?"

Bog's replied, "Sure."

Bog got out of the bed and walked behind the curtains. It was a bit brisk out, but with the sun shining into the window, it felt good. Marianne was sitting on her windowsill with her wings wide open and the sun was beating down on them. The way the sun shown through her wings, it created a purple glow on the curtains and in the general area in front of her. She had a special white robe on that allow her wings to fall outside of the robe. She sat hugging herself as she rubbed her arms. Her body was shivering.

"Oh, Marianne! Come inside and into bed, you look like you are cold."

"I am. Bog, it's so cold. I called you out here because I want you to hold me."

"Of course, my dear."

Bog walked over to her and she opened up her robe. She was wearing a red silk night dress with ¾ length sleeves. But the sleeves were shear and flowing from her shoulders down. The wide straps that ran over her back formed a plunging neckline down the front that exposed her whole front side right down to her waist. While it was a beautiful nightie to wear inside when they were getting close, it was certainly too cold to be wearing now.

"No no, keep yourself covered," Bog said.

"I need to feel the heat from your thorax, it will go faster this way," She said.

She grabbed her robe, moved very close to Bog to where her skin was touching his and she loosely tied the robe behind his back. She rested her head on his shoulder and let out a soft sigh. As she did so, she stopped shivering.

"Oh, this is so much better."

Bog could feel the bare parts of her skin against his. She was warming up nicely and he could feel the heat coming from her bust and abdomen areas and it was warming him up too. His body was having an insulating effect and it was keeping the heat between them. On such a cold morning, it felt fantastic.

Marianne said, "Oh this feels nice...I wore this nightie, not only to entice you last night, but also for warmth."

"Yes, I know you mentioned that last night and I loved your bare skin touching me. I just thought this morning you would have put something heavier on."

"No way...I wanted to get close to you this morning too. The closeness to you...our skin touching. Hmmmmm," she hummed.

Bog just smiled and said, "I know. I love that feeling too."

Marianne then curled her wings around the both of them and that made things even cozier. Bog reached over and pulled the curtain aside so that the suns rays could warm up her room. They continued to hold each other for a good while.

Just then someone called out, "Good Morning Love Birds!"

It was Benny and he waved to them as he flew by.

Marianne looked over her shoulder and she reached back to wave behind her and both her and Bog said together, "Good Morning."

Suddenly, Benny's eyes grew wide and his eyes focused down towards her chest.

"Benny! Watch out for that..."

WHAM!

"...tree."

Benny did a face plant right into a tree. Bog then looked down and Marianne's eyes followed. Because she didn't have a bodice strap on her nightie, when she reached back, the robe pulled loose from his back and the bodice of her nightie spread open, clearly showing a good part of her left bosom.

"Oh Sugar Honey Iced Tea," she exclaimed as she pulled herself in close to Bog. "Damn it, no wonder why I suddenly felt cold up here."

Benny came down on a large leaf of the branch below him. He shook his head but then quickly looked away as he said, "I am so, sorry, your highness, I didn't know you were..."

Marianne interrupted as she said, "It's Ok, Benny, it was my fault."

Marianne securely tied the robe around her body.

"Can I look now, Princess?" Benny asked.

"Yes"

As he turned around he apologized again.

"It's Ok, it was an accident. I just feel bad that you slammed into that tree. I am the one that should be apologizing to you."

"Well, I will continue my rounds and will see you at breakfast, Princess!"

Benny jumped off the branch and flew off.

Marianne and Bog looked at each other and both of their faces grimaced and they said, "Ooops!" together.

 _After breakfast in the dining hall:_

King Dagda, Marianne, Dawn, Bog, Yara, Griselda and Sir Benny were sitting at the far end of the table and they were discussing what still needed to be done to prepare for the holiday event.

Bog asked, "So what was it called again?"

King Dagda began to explain, "It is called Almsgiving Day. It is a generations old tradition and it stemmed from a special day that was set aside for the King and Queen to give back to the servants and elves. Food wasn't plentiful many years ago and thus a feast was given in the servants honor. Some of the servants that worked closer to the King and Queen even got gifts. Over the years as food was plentiful, the meaning of Almsgiving Day changed slightly and now it is a day where friends and family gather and give wrapped gifts and just share in everyone's good company and generally have a good time. However, the tradition of having a feast still remained. As such we decorate the dining hall to further commemorate the event and make things more festive.

Yara clapped her hands and said, "That is wonderful! It sounds exciting. Yara never heard of this before."

Bog said, "That is a nice story, but we never celebrated anything like this in the Dark Forest."

Griselda said, "Oh really, like you would have allowed anything like that to happen, Mr. No-Love."

"Mother, that was before I met Marianne, but even now the Goblins would never except such an event."

Marianne then said, "You could introduce it to them."

"No no no no. The idea of them going out and giving gifts to each other? Are you kidding? These are goblins, dear. The idea of Almsgiving Day would be like putting your sister in the middle of them and have her sing a slow mushy song like, 'Without You.' You remember how that went, right, Dawn?"

"Yeah, but it would still be nice to include them. I think Stuff and Thang would want to participate."

"I don't know about them, but if you gave a goblin like Brutus a gift he would probably eat it."

Marianne said, "Well, there you go Bog, for a goblin such as Brutus, get him something really nice to eat."

"I don't know, dear. I will swing it by them, but don't be disappointed it they don't participate."

 _Later on that day:_

Bog helped Marianne bring a large wagon load of boxes into the dining hall. She said, "Thank you, honey."

He began to look around the room as the servants were putting new tablecloths and table settings on the tables. He grimaced as the colors were very loud and gaudy. He liked his colors dark. This was way too bright.

Marianne opened up one of the boxes and inside were all sorts of shiny and colorful decorations. As she continued to open up the other boxes, he pulled out the end of long string of what appeared to be a vine with silver pine needles on it.

"What on earth is this?" he questioned as he grimaced.

"It's garland."

Dawn flew over and said, "Huhhhh! Oooooo, I wanna do the garland, I love hanging this up! I love it! I love It! I do this every year Boggy."

Bog handed her the end he was holding and said, "Here, knock yourself out."

"Thank you," Dawn said as she grabbed the end from Bog.

Dawn flew up to the arches and began to drape the garland from pillar to pillar. As she continued, Bog watched the garland unspool from the box. Every so often it would hit the light in the room and catch his eye. Again he made a face.

Bog looked into another one of the large boxes. It was loaded with a bunch of miniature hazelnuts on hooks that were all painted in different colors. He pulled one out and said, "And this?"

"It's a nut."

"Yes, I can see that...but do we crack this open and eat it?"

"No, silly, you hang it up on the garland. There are many more in there," Marianne said.

Just then Sir Benny came into the room with the three brothers. He said, "Good, Good, everyone is getting ready and I see Princess Dawn started with the garland. Ok, so each of you get an arch."

The triplets each took a position in the first three arches of the room.

Benny then said to Bog, "Your Majesty, if you would be so good as to feed me those nuts."

Bog raised his brow and contrary to what Marianne said, he took a nut and slammed it against the side of one of the storage crates and it broke open.

Suddenly everyone in the room stopped and looked when they heard the loud noise.

Bog sifted through the shells and pulled the meat of the nut out and handed up to Benny and said, "Here you go."

Marianne had a shocked look on her face as she said, "What in the blazes did you do that for? I said we hang them up."

"Well, he told me to feed him the nuts."

Just then the room erupted in laughter. The triplets practically fell out of the air as they were laughing. Even Marianne started to laugh.

Feeling embarrassed, Bog sneered a bit and he didn't like it in the least bit that Marianne was laughing too.

Benny then said, "Oh, I'm sorry, your highness. My bad. I wanted to to hand me the nuts in succession. That is what I meant about feeding me the nuts. I didn't mean literally."

"Oh," Bog said as he suddenly began to feel stupid.

He then began to toss the nuts up to Benny and he shot them out each of the brothers and they caught them and hung them up on the garland.

Marianne was sorting through another box and her arms began to fill up with items. She pulled out a colorful box that had a bow on it. She held the box out, but was looking at a closed crate in front of her reading off it's contents on it's lablel. Without looking to Bog, she said, "Here open this box up for me."

Bog took the colorful box from her hand and proceeded to rip the lid off of it. Much to his surprise the box was empty. Marianne looked toward him with surprised look on her face.

Once again the room erupted in laughter. This time Daniel actually did fall out of the air and he laughed as hard as he possibly could laying, on his back, with his wings open on the ground. He began flapping his open wings against the floor and held his stomach. Jokingly he called out, "Shame shame, Your Majesty, you shouldn't open your gifts before Almsgiving Day!"

Again the room erupted in laughter. Even Dawn chuckled as she continued to hang the garland and she said, "Oh Boggy Boggy, you are too much!"

"Bog! I meant this box," Marianne said as she pointed the crate in front of her on the wagon.

She practically snatched the broken decoration box from him and sighed, "My mother made this...now you ruined it."

Bog felt so foolish that now he was getting on the defensive and he began to raise his voice, "Well with all due respect, dear, you were holding that box up."

"Didn't you see I raised my chin to that box."

"No."

"Oh, Bog. My arms were full, I thought I made myself clear."

Seeing the disappointed look in her eyes and everyone smirking at him he said, "I think I should leave. This isn't my holiday and I don't know what I am doing here."

He started to fly off

Marianne sighed and then called out, "Bog wait!"

Just then King Dagda and Queen Yara came into the dining room. He was carrying a large box on his belly and as he entered the room, he bellowed, "I got the heat spheres for the fake fireplace!"

Bog turned around to look at Marianne and he didn't look where he was going and he was flying too low. Because King Dagda was carrying the box on the top of his belly, it was blocking his view and he couldn't see in front of him. Yara was leading the way for him holding his arm. She shouted, "B.K. lookout!"

When he looked forward he tried to get out of the way, but his legs sideswiped King Dagda's belly forcing him to lurch forward. The spheres flew out of the box, and forward, into the air. Bog's world went in slow motion as the spheres came crashing down on top of the wagon load of decorations. From the great shock of the fall, the heat spheres burst into flames and within seconds the entire cart was consumed in flames.

King Dagda's eyes flew open and he yelled out, "FIRE! Everyone out of the dining room! Someone get me Sugar Plum now!

Bog wasn't afraid of many things in life, but one thing he was petrified of was fire. He knew what it could do. Once it started, it would consume everything. But then there was a scream, from the other side of the burning wagon. Knowing that heat rises, Bog got low and tried to get to the other side of the wagon. The heat coming from the blaze was incredible. He was practically crawling on the floor to avoid it. Then he saw, in lieu of the explosion, the debris landed near Marianne and her long dress caught fire.

She cried out, "Help me!"

His heart was in his throat as he had to save her. He noticed that there was a tablecloth in a chair, but he feared there wasn't enough time. He darted over to Marianne and grabbed her dress by the waist and tore the whole bottom skirt part off in one shot and tossed it to the side. Thankfully he was lucky and got it all. He then took the table cloth and proceeded to beat the burning part of her dress with it to put out the flames.

He then grabbed a hold of Marianne and flew out of the ballroom with her. As he was leaving out the door, he turned back to notice the flames were now reaching the ceiling of the ballroom.

Just has he was leaving...Sugar Plum came in and she was carrying two buckets of some strange greenish substance. She passed the buckets to Benny and she yelled out, "Pour this on the cart!"

Benny gave one bucket to Nathanial and he said, "You get this side and I will go on the other side."

Nathanial nodded his head and Benny disappeared thorough the smoke to the other side of the cart. By now thick black smoke was billowing out of the dining room and entering the hall of the castle.

King Dagda shouted, "Please hurry!"

Both Benny and Nathanial were successful in pouring the green goo over the cart, while it immediately started to slow the fire down, it was still burning.

Sugar Plum waved her hands and a bluish beam of light emanated from her hand and hit the green goo. There was a very bright flash of light, followed by a deafing loud bang.

Everyone outside covered their ears as they said, "Oooooo!"

King Dagda looked into the smoke filled doorway of the dining hall and amazingly the fire was gone. In an elated voice the King announced, "She did it! Sugar Plum did it!"

Everyone in the hallway started to cheer and shout out over and over, "Hip Hip Horray! Sugar Plum, Sugar Plum! Sugar Sugar Sugar Plum!

King Dagda walked over to Sugar Plum and embraced her, he said, "Thank you very much."

He then gave her a kiss very close to her mouth. Sugar Plum's cheeks began to turn purple and she started to chuckle as she said, "Wow! Thank you, Your Majesty, I like being kissed."

As Kind Dagda let go of Sugar Plum and started to walk towards Marianne, Suddenly everyone started to line up and give Sugar plum a kiss on the cheek. Her face became more and more purple each time she got a kiss. She kept giggling like a little school girl. She then said as she was fanning her chest with her hand, "My goodness! I love this! Hey Bog, you should set the place on fire more often...if I am going to get kisses like this! Whew! Now, I'm hot."

Nathanial shouted out as he pointed his fingers at Sugar Plum, "You're the hottest firefighter in town, Sugar!"

Everyone began to laugh.

"Oh My! You keep that up Nate, I am going take you home with me," she said as she raised her eyebrows.

Everyone went, "Oooooooooo!"

Sugar Plum said, "Hey I need some lovin' too, you know."

King Dagda approached Marianne and he said, "Are you alright, darling?"

"Yes, I am a bit shaken up, but OK."

Her father looked her bare legs over and while they were very red, her skin wasn't damaged.

"Oh thank goodness you are alright," he said as he embraced her. He looked up and said, "Would someone get something to cover her legs."

Bog went into the ballroom and retrieved a table cloth and when he came out he King said, "No No, Bog...she needs a new dress."

He then called out, "Alice!"

"I am here Your Majesty."

"Please fetch Marianne a new dress...a long one that fits her," He said.

"Yes, Your Majesty," she said as she curtsied and flew off towards the stairs.

Marianne practically was practically draped over her father and didn't say too much as it was clear she was in shock. Bog wanted to tell her father that he was the one that saved her, but he had a glaring look in his eye as he looked over his daughter's shoulder at him.

He lifted his head and said, "You need to be more careful. I couldn't see and Yara shouted out to you."

Bog started to slink back against the wall. Suddenly the look on the king's face changed from anger to shock as his eyes grew wide. He pulled back from Marianne, but still held on to her. He started to look around and he said, "Where's Dawn?"

Everyone started to look around, but Dawn wasn't in the hall.

"Oh No!" King Dagda said in worried voice.

He passed Marianne to Benny and he held on to her as the king headed towards the dining room doors. The smoke was clearing out of the dining room, but it was dark inside as the fire destroyed most of the light spheres in the room.

Marianne looked up and moved out of Benny's arms and closely followed behind him but she stayed outside, only peering into the damaged dining room.

"Dawn!" He shouted.

There was no answer.

"Oh No!" his eyes started to glisten over. He shouted again, louder and longer. "DAWWWN!"

Suddenly one by one a set of angry eyes looked over to Bog. He began to worry and his hands started to shake when she didn't answer for the second time her name was called. He closed his eyes and whispered to himself, "Please, I hope she found another way out."

King Dagda started to get a furious look in his eyes as he looked over his shoulder to Bog, but then a frightened meek voice from the back of the room answered.

"Daddy, I'm scared!"

"Oh! Oh! My darling!" He exclaimed as started to make his way towards the back. "Please, my angel, keep talking, I will find you. Daddy's coming."

"Dad, I want you," Dawn said meekly.

"Yes, I'm coming. I'm coming. It is a bit dark but I am following your voice."

Benny flew into the dining room and he had a lantern with him and he flew high so that light spilled out over the immediate area.

"Ahhhh, Benny you are a saint! You read my mind," King Dagda said.

"I try to do my best, Your Majesty."

"That is all I ask of you, now see if you can find my daughter."

Benny scanned the room as he held the lantern up. He then pointed with his finger and said, "Your Majesty, there she is, she's in the fake fireplace."

The King ran over to it and when he was in front of it. Dawn shot out of the flue and threw her arms around her father. Her body was shaking as she held on to him and she was dirty from the soot from the flue from the last time the fireplace was used.

"Oh my darling, are you ok?" He asked as he embraced her tightly.

"Yes, Dad. When the smoke came, I hid in there."

Benny came down with the light. Her father started to look over every inch of his daughter and she looked fine, not a scratch on her, just a little dirty. He then threw his arms around her.

"Oh thank goodness you are alright...You're fine."

"Yes, I am not hurt, Dad. Just a little scared. I have never been in a fire before."

"Understandable, but the main thing is you are fine. I must say that wasn't a good place for you. I thought you were outside in the hall where you should have gone. You had me worried sick."

The three triplets as well as some other fairies flew into the ballroom with light spheres and lanterns and began to light the room back up, all of them glared at Bog when they entered the room. Daniel even shook his head side to side. Every person that sneered at him made him feel more and more like a heel.

Marianne slowly started to walk towards the dining room, and Bog followed behind her, but stayed to one side.

As the soldiers and servants put more and more lanterns in to the room, the extent of the damage became clear. The entire ceiling in the front half of the room was damaged and black with soot. The tops of the main doors were splintered and warped and the molding popped off from the heat. The front arches and pillars were also damaged. The tables that were closest to the cart where also damaged.

Dawn looked up as she let go of her father. She moved forward, towards Marianne, as she looked around and took everything in. She got within a few paces of her sister and then she looked at the burned remains of the cart in front of her. Her eyes began to glaze over and her chin wrinkled and tears began to fall down from her eyes and she began to sob heavily.

Marianne started to move to her. Dawn's knees began to give out and her sister caught her before she fell.

"I'm here, sis"

"It's all gone...everything is ruined," Dawn said as she continued to sob.

"I know. I'm sorry. But the main thing is everyone is Ok."

Bog came up behind Marianne and put his hand on her shoulder and said, "I'm sorry."

Suddenly she let go over sister, pushed his hand off her shoulder and whipped around to face him.

"I think it is best that you go, Bog. You've done enough here today."

"What?...My dear...you...you're angry with me?"

"You think? Don't, my dear me. Since we started decorating I saw the look in your face. You were against this whole thing. Your words were as I quote, 'this is your holiday'."

"I admit I wasn't fond of the decorations and I was surprised you were. You even told me when we first met that you are not into this gaudy stuff."

"This is different, this is a holiday tradition," Marianne said. She pointed to the burned out crates. "Those decorations were made by many close relative that are no longer with us. Most of my mother's things that she made were in those crates."

"How was I supposed to know. This is all new to me. Marianne, it was an accident."

Marianne started to walk towards him and she was growing more and more cross with each step. Bog started to back up towards the door.

"You set me on fire, Bog!"

"No, I saved you, Marianne! Calm down. You are being irrational."

"I am being irrational when you cause a fire, frightening everyone, destroying _MY_ ballroom with only a few days before Almsgiving Day?"

"Marianne, please! I can't believe you think I did this on purpose. I would never do that."

As Bog backed up passed the three brothers, they all had a smirk on their face. He then looked to King Dagda and said, "K.D. please, you know this was an accident."

"Yes, but I did clearly hear Yara say, 'Look out.'"

Bog turned to Yara and said, "Yara you saw it, it was an accident."

"It all happened too fast."

Bog found he was up against the door frame. Marianne grabbed him by the lapel and started to make a fist with her other hand.

"Marianne, I don't believe this, you are seriously going to hit me over this?"

Bog looked over to the triplets and they were gloating and even made faces egging Marianne on. King Dagda yelled out, "Enough of this! Let's not make it worse. This is bad enough as it is!"

Suddenly Marianne relaxed her hand and eased up on her grip on his lapel. Her face became softer and she said, "I can't. I...I can't hit you."

Marianne turned away and she leaned up against a nearby pillar and began to cry.

"Marianne?"

Through her tears she said, "Just Go Bog. Go home."

Bog turned and suddenly Dawn was in front of him and she had a really angry looking face on.

"Dawn?" he said.

"She won't hit you, but I will," Dawn said as she made a fist with one hand and with her other hand, she grabbed Bog by the lapel and began to swing her arm around in a huge circular motion as if winding up to toss a ball underhand. Bog's eyes widened.

Marianne's eyes widened and put her hand out as she called out, "No Dawn!"

He turned to her for a moment and then felt a sharp whack under his chin and then everything went dark.

When Bog came to he looked around the room he was in. He was in his room at the palace and Sugar Plum was floating by his side.

"Wha...what happened?"

"Don't worry, I took care of you and healed your fractured chin."

Just then he could feel his chin was throbbing and he reached up and grabbed it.

"You remember what happened?" she asked.

"Sort of. I thought Marianne was going to hit me, but she didn't, next think I know her sister was winding up for an uppercut punch."

"Good, you still have your memory...she walloped you good. I am surprised she didn't knock your teeth into your brain with that punch. She knocked you right out. Pretty impressive actually, that she could do that despite her small size. But sadly, in the process the poor thing broke her hand in three places."

"Is she alright?"

"Yes. Rachel took care of her and I took care of you."

"Why am I not in the infirmary?"

"The King was afraid the two of you would wake up fighting. So since you had the lesser of the injuries I had you brought up here and took care of you here."

"Everyone hates me now, and it was just an accident." Bog said as began to sulk. "I never seen Dawn get that angry before and she never hit anyone either. She always liked me."

"I know that...but try to convince them given the situation."

Bog sighed and he reflected on everything that went on and he nodded and said, "You're right Sugar Plum. You usually are right anyway."

Sugar Plum crossed her arms over her chest and rocked her head back and forth and said, "Yeah, I am mostly right, but I am not perfect either."

"I'm just a screw up. Heck I even screwed up your life because I didn't listen to you and that was another thing you were right about."

"Yes, but everyone screws up every now and then. I make mistakes too, Bog."

"Oh come now. I held you for something you were right about and I was too pig headed to listen to you. I am a big screw up and that is all I will ever be. And Marianne, poor Marianne. She was so angry with me she told me to leave. She's normally so happy to see me. Now she doesn't want me anymore. Truthfully, she is better off without me."

"You are just saying that because you are upset and hurt. It always hurts when someone you love is angry with you."

"You seen it, you were there and saw everyone's reaction after you put the fire out. They all hate me now because of an accident. But they don't think it was an accident because of the way I reacted to their holiday. Marianne is right about me, I always worry about what other people think...like that time she wanted me to sing that song with her and I refused because it was a disco song."

"Well that is the thing about relationships, it is a give and take. You should have learned from that. Your woman should come before what your people think about you, especially if you are serious about the relationship."

"I know. And I am serious with Marianne. But now it is too late. She told me to leave."

"I don't think it is too late. She probably only told you to leave because her state of mind. I don't think she wants you out of her life, permanently."

"Sugar Plum, I come to realize that everyone is better off without me, especially Marianne. One day I am just going to end up doing something really stupid and she's the one that is going to get hurt for it."

"I see what Marianne says that you have a tendency to beat yourself up about trival things."

Bog began to raise his voice as he said, "Trivial? You call setting the woman I love on fire trivial? I know what fire does Sugar Plum, she could have been badly scared or deformed for life."

"But you got to her in time."

"No, I wish I wasn't alive anymore. The world is better off without a scaly back cockroach like me."

"You really believe that, huh?

"Yes, I do."

Sugar Plum put her hand to her chin and suddenly she said, "Hmmmm, I have an idea."

"Wha...What are you going to do?"

"You'll see," she said as she opened the door and floated out of the room.

She was gone for quite a while but then she did finally return and she had a cup of what appeared to be tea.

"Here drink this, it will help you sleep and also help with healing your jaw."

"Is it tea?"

"Yes, sort of."

Bog looked at the tea and said, "It's blue!"

"Well that is the medicine."

"Oh, Ok. Thanks."

Bog took a few sips and he said, "Uhhhh, it is a bit bitter."

"Oh, stop complaining. You should be able to handle a bit of a bitter tea. You are the Bog King, right?"

"Yeah, King of screw ups. I can't even hold on to a woman. I ruined everything with her.

Bog started to drink the tea.

"Drink all of it now."

The tea was bitter, but he managed to drink every drop of it.

"Good, now rest up. I will check on you once more before I go to bed."

Bog looked to her and said, "Thank you for fixing me up. You always do a lot for me, and I really don't do enough for you."

"Nonsense. You have given me a beautiful place to life...a place far nicer than my original home."

"Alright, so that was one thing I did right by you...but at what cost. I am sorry that I took away your freedom for so long."

"But you did free me and that is the main thing. So rest now. Goodnight."

"Good night, Sugar Plum."

The tea was very strong and Bog could feel his eyes getting heavy right away. Soon he couldn't feel the throbbing in his chin anymore and then everything went dark.

Marianne woke up and stretched herself out. It was early morning as there was a dim blue glow in the room. She looked up to the ceiling and right away she knew something wasn't right. She leaned up and looked around and the room seemed far too large. She looked towards the window and that wasn't right either. Her room had a huge floor to ceiling bay window and this room had a much smaller window. After her eyes focused better, she fully sat up and looked around the room again.

"What? Why am I sleeping in Dad's room? I don't remember falling asleep in here. The last thing I remember, I went to bed and I was talking to Sugar Plum. I remember her giving me some of this blue tea to calm my nerves. I was distraught about the mishap with Bog. Then she asks me a weird question...she said that Bog wishes he was dead that all he does is ruin everything and the world is better of without him. I told her that wasn't true, but my eyes started to get heavy when I said that I love Bog. I wanted to go and tell him myself that I was sorry about the way that I reacted, but I couldn't move and just fell asleep. Yeah, that's it. That is all I remember."

She looked down to what she was wearing, and she had a very boring white long sleeve mu mu. It did have an embroidered floral pattern on it, but it didn't fit right and it was a bit large on her. She recognized it to be one of her mother's old nighties.

"What am I doing wearing this boring thing? Bog would laugh to high heaven if he saw me in this. This isn't sexy at all!"

Marianne noticed that her jaw was hurting a bit. "Funny, my sister was the one that walloped my boyfriend in the jaw, but why is my jaw hurting?"

She pushed on the left bottom edge of her jaw and she noticed that there was a considerable bump there. Curious to get a better look, she got up and headed over to the mirror in the bathroom since the lighting was better in there. As she walked she felt very weak and limp. It was as if she didn't have a full night of sleep like when she was having a hot night with Bog, or the feeling she got when she was over worked.

 _"_ Damn I feel so weak," she said.

As she walked across the floor, she noticed that there was some men's clothes strew about the room in addition to a dress that was laying across a chair. She figured the dress was hers and she lifted it up and almost dropped it.

"What the heck. How did this get here?"

It was her old dress...the one she wore the night she met Bog in his old castle, but it was very worn out and needed some repairs.

"This was ruined months ago...I turned it into a bikini," she said.

She shook her head as she entered the bathroom. Something was different about the bathroom too. For starters, there was a crack in the corner of the mirror and she didn't recall that being there and some of the furniture was moved around. A good number of the things she remembered her father had was missing. She then moved in front of the mirror looked up to her face. Her eyes widened as she almost didn't recognize the reflection that looked back at her. She got scared and jumped away from the mirror.

"That wasn't me. Who was that? There is something very wrong with that mirror."

Slowly she approached the mirror again and she studied the reflection closely and brought her hands up to touch her face. It was indeed her face, but it had changed.

"Oh my goodness! What happened to you?" she said as tears were welling up in her eyes. "My face! It's not beautiful anymore."

After her initial shock, she began to examine her face in more detail. She was beginning to breathe heavy as she was distraught with what she was seeing.

She was wearing no makeup at all and she had deep dark circles under her eyes. There were some scars on her face. One was over her left eyebrow and there was a rather large one over her right cheek. Her breathing became heavier as she looked at each scar and ran her finger over each one. She looked to her lips, and while she had a tiny scar on her upper lip right under her philtrum, her lips seemed more full and plump than she remembered. It was the only thing on her face that looked alright. She finally turned to her left side to look the the bump on her chin. It was black and blue welt. As she was examining her chin she noticed her fingers were very thin and her skin wasn't as smooth. Also her forearms didn't flare out at the elbow. She held her arm up and squeezed her hand into a fist, she could barely see her forearm muscles flex.

"What the heck" she said. Suddenly she began to pull her nightie off and the first thing she did was look down to her tummy. While it was flat, it was too flat and concaved. She looked very thin. Her hips were less pronounced and more bony. Her legs were no longer shapely and were very straight. As she examined her body, she began to breathe heavy again and as she looked further up her body. When she got passed her waist, she looked back up to the mirror and her eyes focused on her upper arms. Her eyes widened as she had no muscular definition on them at all. Her biceps and her nice wide rounded shoulders were gone. She even noticed the remnants of a black and blue in the shape of fingers on one arm. Moving to her chest, her ribs were showing and when she ran her finger down her sternum, it wasn't smooth, she could feel the ridges under her skin. She tried to make a muscle and all she could get is a faint line and a tiny bump where her nice well defined biceps were. As she tried to force some kind of muscle to appear, tears welled up in her eyes. She lifted her arms up away from her sides and her shoulders didn't have the nice bulging at the top and the indentations there were gone. What was there was just a small hill. She put her arms back down and she began to weep.

"No, no, no, NO! What happened to my muscles. No wonder why I feel so week. I have Dawn's body! Bog isn't going to like me this way. He wants a strong girl. What the heck happened to me? I am a waif now.

She kept looking at herself in the mirror as she backed all the way up to the wall and could see most of her body in it. When she couldn't back up anymore, she slid down the wall and continued to sob.

"This is a bad dream. It has to be," she said through her tears. "This isn't me."

She sat on the bathroom floor and cried for a very long time. But soon she was out of tears and felt very hungry. She looked at her legs and her very thin calves and she found another black and blue mark on her leg. Like the one on her arm, this one looked older too, but she suddenly came to realize that she was being abused and on a regular basis too. She noticed another thing too. After she was through with looking at her body, she began to look around the room, noting what was missing from her dad. On the counter was a very small shaving razor...instead of her father's beard trimmer.

Now she went into an investigative mode and started to look around. She grabbed a white shirt that was lying around in the bathroom. It was clearly a man's and it was about average size in the waistline, but wide on top. She knew all her father's clothes had the stomaches stretched out. So that shirt couldn't have been his. She went out into the bedroom and put on her dress and then started to rummage through the clothes strewn about the room and also in the closets. All of the men's clothes were similar to the shirt she found in the bathroom. Pants that she found were way too small for her father. They were definitely some other man's clothes.

But what surprised her the most is that in the far corner of the room was her armoire that was in her bedroom.

"What's that doing in here?"

She went over to it and opened it up and it indeed was her armoire as her clothes were in there. The first thing that drew her attention was the short blue swing dress. It was still in there.

"I gave this to Alice."

It was all of her older dresses, nothing new was in there. The halter dress that she normally wore, the fancy Dark Queen elegant dress that Bog gave her was not there either. Anything that she made or was given in the past three months was not there."

"I have to get down to the bottom of this," she said as she scrambled for her leggings and boots. There was a full length mirror behind the changing screen in the room and she went behind there to finished getting dressed. The mirror was broken in there too."

When she was dressed she looked at herself in the mirror and the reflection that looked back was a sorry pitiful version of the once strong and beautiful woman she was. She then slowly unfolded her wings and again she began to have a panic attack. Her wings had numerous tears and holes in them and her right forewing was bent and folded over at the top.

She immediately screamed out and pushed over the changing screen. She stepped back from the mirror and began to flap her wings. She began to rise from the ground. From there she moved forward, back and shifted side to side.

When she landed she breathed a sigh of relief in that even though her wings were damaged, she could still fly. With that she flew over to the door and grasped the handle to open it, but it wouldn't turn. It seemed to be locked from the outside. She began to pound on the door hard and she yelled.

"Someone open the door! I am locked in here! Please help me! I am Princess Marianne, I am locked in my Dad's room! Dawn! Yara! Dad! Can anyone hear me out there!"

When no one answered the door, she flew to the window. To her dismay the window had bars in it. Looking out she noticed that the view overlooking the terrace was very drab. It seemed like the terrace hadn't been landscaped in a long time and it was very overgrown. She landed back down in the room and she thought to herself, 'someone is keeping me in here. I need to find a way out.' She pulled a chair over to the door and sat there waiting. She knew someone was bound to come down the hall or open the door to the room. There was a heavy vase on a stand along the the wall near the door and she grabbed the vase, just in case. If the person was alone, she could clock them over the head and escape from the room.

She sat for a bit more and then suddenly she heard a whistling coming down the hall. She got up and put the vase on the chair and was ready to call out. But then a familiar voice sang out. It was a strong male voice with a noticeable southern twang to it.

"Roland! What he heck is he doing out of jail!" she exclaimed as she immediately took the vase and stood on the chair holding the vase over the door.

When the door opened, she could see that it was indeed Roland. But she was taken aback by the fact that he was wearing her father's crown on his head. She was ready to drop the vase on his head when she heard another voice, it was Daniel's voice.

"So Your Majesty , are we going to take the boat out this weekend?"

"Sure, don't we go out every weekend?"

"Hey, just checking. I know your busy running the castle and I understand if we can't go out, but yeah, your pretty good with that, you always make time to hang out."

"I try, I try. Always take care of my friends when I can."

"You are going to bring the girls again, right?"

"Daniel, Daniel. You know I never forget the girls."

"Right...Ummm, I think you should bring Marianne to dinner tonight. Last night was the third night you kept her up here, the people are going to start to ask questions."

As Marianne continued to listen in, she didn't know what they were talking about, but two things didn't strike her the right way were the words boat and girls. Apparently he had the boat and intended to go out with girls behind her back.

While the two men were talking, Marianne tip toed to the pedestal and put the vase back, but she returned to the chair and continued to listen in.

"Well, Daniel, you know I want to bring her down only when she is presentable. I don't want to keep making up an excuse every time she gets a bump on her."

"Oh what happened this time?"

"She fell and hit her jaw on the sink, so she's got a bit of a bump there. I tell you she is just a frail woman. She breaks too easily."

"So have Rachel fix her up."

"Naw, the bump isn't that bad, and the last thing we need is Rachel asking questions."

"Gotcha, but see if you can touch her face up with makeup and bring her down tonight and why don't you put her in something nicer than that ragged outfit she always wears."

"Alright, I will bring her down."

Marianne smirked as she realized that if he takes her down to dinner, that was when she could find out more about what was going on.

Roland entered the room and he was decked out in a white and gold outfit and he was wearing many gold chains around his neck. He had a ring on 3 of his five fingers on each hand. His outfit was custom fitted and had jewels set in the trim on his arms. He closed the door and looked up. He jumped back a bit not expecting her behind the door.

When she looked to his face, much to her dismay he was actually wearing accent makeup around his eyes. From the front, his outfit was very gaudy and had jewels running down the flaps and lapels of his jacket. Her eyes went right to his crown and it was indeed her fathers. It didn't take Marianne too long to figure out that not only was Roland a free man, he was also the King. While he was wearing huge expensive rings on his finger, she had nothing.

"Hey Darlin' whatcha doing back there."

"Wa...Wa...Waiting for you."

"Awwww, that's my sweet darling," he said as he reached over and touched her face. As he did so, she could feel her blood starting to boil.

He leaned over and tried to kiss her but she pulled back.

"Hey, what's going on...no kiss for hubby?"

Her eyes widened as her worse nightmare was realized. She was married to Roland. Now she knew this was a nightmare and it wasn't real. Somehow she had to wake up. She slowly tried to pinch herself on the leg in the hopes that she might wake up, but it wasn't working. He tried to kiss her again, but her blood began to boil within as the thought of his lips touching hers. She suddenly put her hand up.

"I'm sorry, I think I am getting a sore throat, and you might get sick if you kiss me."

"Oh, well, thank you for telling me then. If it gets worse then we have to have Rachel look at you."

He then held her chin and said, "Oh, the swelling is going down nicely. You do look presentable enough to go to dinner tonight. You know...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to smack you so hard to leave a welt like this, but you have to stop pissing me off and do as I say. I am the king and you obey me.

Marianne closed her eyes as she didn't want him touching her and she wanted to bite his fingers off when they came near her face. She opened her eye and said, "I want to see my dad."

"Your dad?", he said as he started to turn away, "Darlin' you know he's been dead for a couple months now."

Marianne's heart sank and her eyes widened. She could immediately feel the tears well up in her eyes. She suddenly got up and ran to the bathroom, she closed and locked the door behind her.

"Had to go that bad, huh?"

She went around the corner from where the door was and started to sob heavily as she said, "Oh Dad. What happened to you? I need you now. This is some kind of horrible nightmare and I want to wake up."

"Darlin' are you alright in there. You sound like you are crying."

"Yes, I am. I want to see my dad."

"Okay, Okay. We can go to his resting place tomorrow morning after breakfast."

Marianne tried to play along to get some information out of Roland. She had to muster up a good deal of energy to call him the same thing she calls Bog.

"Hu...Hu...Honey?"

"Oh, yes, darling...you haven't called me that in a long time. I appreciate you calling me that again. I like that."

"I am a big in a fog and I forgot what Dad died of."

"Wow, I am really sorry, I didn't think I hit you that hard."

"Well, you did."

"He had a heart attack."

Marianne was dumbfounded as a heart attack was completely preventable if a healer was close by. So she was curious to learn how and were it happened.

"Where?"

"We went out the boat in the summer, don't you remember?"

"Neither Rachel nor Sugar Plum was there." Marianne asked.

"Sugar Plum?"

"Yeah, she's a healer too, remember?"

"Darlin' Sugar Plum is in the dungeon for treason."

"What?"

"Ummmm', this amnesia thing you have is starting to unnerve me. I am hoping this isn't something permanent. I am a bit worried about bringing you to dinner tonight given your current state."

Marianne then got another idea and she figured if she could get to someone from the outside, perhaps she could learn more about what is going on.

"Maybe Rachel should have a look at me then," she said.

Roland was silent for a while but then he started to talk again.

"Listen, we have to come to some understanding or have some kind of system to calm me down, because I don't want to keep hitting you when you misbehave. It is getting bad that you are forgetting things and I don't want to keep covering up for it either."

Marianne clenched her teeth as she felt a fire start to burn within and the blood started to boil in her veins as he admitted to regularly abusing her.

"Are you going to come out of there soon?" I have to get my face shaven and cleaned up.

She looked over to the razor on the counter and the thing that came to her mind was that she wanted to slit his throat with it. She swallowed hard a few times before she answered.

"Yes, I will be out in a minute, Honey."

"Alright, but I am going to hold you to that minute. Don't make it two or three or four, otherwise I am going to get angry and we don't want that now. I don't want to have to break down the door again."

Marianne thought back to what Yara said about how her life was with her husband and how he abused her. Yara was so happy that she didn't suffer the same fate. But yet, here she was, in some kind of different life with Roland as the abusive husband and she was the battered wife. All she wanted to do is get close to someone that might have some information. She wanted to find Bog and rush into his arms. She always felt safe with him. She began got think back on how he saved her from being eaten by a bird and then with the fire yesterday morning, he saved her again. She suddenly realized that she was very harsh on him and then the words echoed in her mind when she told him to go home.

"Darlin' your minute is WAY up...I gave you 2, now come on out."

Just listening to his horrid voice was causing Marianne to boil within, but she tried to keep herself as calm as possible. She slowly got up and opened the door. Roland was standing right outside.

"Good good. Just keep obeying me and do what I say and everything will be fine."

He went into the bathroom but only closed the door part way.

"Why is there a lock on both sides of the bedroom door?"

"Wow, that is a bad bump. You are really full of question, Baby. As for the lock, well, it is obvious. If you misbehave and I have to punish you, we can't have people know that I hit you."

"Oh yeah, that is right...can't ruin your image with the people," Marianne said as she could feel her stomach turn over with what she said.

"Yeah, you are getting it back now. Sheesh, I have to ease up on you. You losing memory now is scaring me."

"Maybe you should stop hitting me then," she suddenly blurted out.

He opened the door and said, "What?"

"Well, Honey, if you stop hitting me and then I will not have bruises. If I don't have bruises then you don't have to worry about people asking questions and you don't have to lock me up in here."

He chuckled and said, "That is a cool idea...now why didn't I think of that."

"I don't know, you are king and you have a brain so why don't you use it," Marianne said but realized that she was getting a bit too forward with her voice.

Suddenly he lunged over to her and grabbed her by the arm and squeezed really hard and it hurt. She looked down and saw how much of her thin upper arm disappeared under his hand. She grabbed his hand with her other hand, but his grip was so powerful, she couldn't budge his hand. She looked down at how pitiful her puny arms were. She knew if she had her muscles, he couldn't even get his hand around her arms.

"Are you struggling? No No No, that's not good."

In a pitiful cry of a damsel in distress she ended up blurting out, "Ahhhhhh, Stop, you're hurting me."

He forcefully pushed her aside and she fell to the floor, "That's a warning."

He looked around the room and said, "I will be back shortly, now clean this room up."

Marianne sat up and said, "Roland?"

"Yes?"

"I want to see Dawn."

"Oh for the love of Pete, you are really out there. You can't see her, she's not here."

"Where is she?"

Roland's eyes narrowed as he said, "You are asking way too many questions. This is going beyond a simple bump on the chin. No more questions!"

As Roland started to close the door, Marianne made a split decision and lunged for the door grabbing Roland's arm.

"What the hell, woman! Back off!"

Suddenly the fire started to burn in her and she could feel her face changing. The feeling came on very strong and she found she couldn't hold it back. Her voiced growled as she said, "I want to see my sister, NOW!"

Clearly she got him by surprise and Roland jumped back a bit and for a split second he had a scared look on his face.

He forcefully used his other hand and forced her hand off his arm and he violently pushed her into the room and she fell to the floor. Quickly locked the door behind him. But he didn't go away. She could hear him breathing on the other side of the door.

Suddenly he said, "Darlin' Who do you love?"

She took a couple deep breaths and said, "You Honey, you're the best. Please forgive me."

"That's what I want to hear, dear."

"Please be patient with me. I do have some memory loss and I am not myself. I just want to know if Dawn is alive. Could you please tell me that much?"

There was again a silence, but then he said, "Yes, she is. Now that is it, no more questions and don't try any funny stuff in there, I am going to be right back. I am going to get Rachel."

She could then hear his footsteps walk away.

Marianne made a fist and said, "Yes!"

She knew her sister was alive, but she needed to know where she was. Roland said she was not there, but where could she have moved to? Perhaps she was with Sunny. But there was no time to dwell on that as she knew Roland would be back soon with Rachel and that was her ticket. She need to know if Rachel would help her get out. The best thing would be to slip her a note since Roland would probably not leave her alone with Rachel. So she couldn't talk to her. There was plenty of paper strewn about the room to write on, but there wasn't a pen in sight. She walked over to her fathers desk and began to rifle through it, but the desk was empty. Then she remembered something, Roland took off his side bag when he went into the bathroom and he forgot to put it back on. She shot off to the bathroom and found the side bag hanging on a hook, she opened it up and there was a fancy quill pen and a bottle of ink in it. Marianne took the pen and ink and found a scrap piece of paper. She sat down at her father's desk and began to write a note for Rachel.

'Rachel, please help me. I am held here against my will and I am being physically abused on a regular basis. I need to find a way out of here and find my sister, Dawn. Thank you.'

Marianne quickly put the pen and quill back into Roland's pouch. As she started to exit the bathroom, she looked at the razor again. But she was hesitant to take it. If he noticed it was gone, he would immediately know she took it and probably would severely beat her. She went back to the desk and sat down. She folded up the note very small and kept it hidden inside her hand.

A few moments later, there was the sound of the door unlocking. Roland entered first and then Rachel followed.

Marianne smiled at her, but Rachel barely looked into her eyes. As she moved closer, Marianne noticed that Rachel had similar scars on her face as she did, but not as severe. She also looked very homely and emaciated like she did.

Roland said to Rachel, "Uhhh, it is like I explained in the hall coming up. She's got a weird amnesia thing going on up in her head and she has seem to forgotten a bunch of things."

Rachel bowed before Marianne and said, "How are you feeling feeling, my queen."

Marianne was so happy to see someone else, but she kept her feelings at bay, "I am not myself, Rachel."

"That is OK, I am here to help you. Now can you tell me what is the last thing that both you and King Roland remember together. Do you remember your wedding with him?"

"No"

Roland's eyes widened as he said, "You forgot our wedding day?"

Marianne gritted her teeth as she replied, "Sadly, Yes."

"Damn, this is bad." Roland said.

Rachel said, "Ok, let's go back further. You remember your father?"

"Yes, I do."

"Ok, prior to your wedding. What is the last thing you remember doing with your husband?"

Roland said, "What is the point of all this. Just scan her and see if her brain is OK already, I need to know if her head is messed up."

"Sorry, Your Majesty...sometimes I can figure out what is wrong easier if I have an idea where the memory loss starts. But I can do as you ask."

Roland raised his hand and said, "Make it so."

Rachel stood up and leaned over Marianne to placing her hand on her head. With Rachel blocking the right side of her body, Marianne took her note and stuffed it in a pocket on Rachel's dress. She pulled down the pocket down to get Rachel's attention and Rachel looked in the direction of her pocket. She kept quiet as she kept scanning Marianne's head.

"King Roland, Your Majesty?"

"Yes, what did you find?

"Well she has a bit of blunt force trauma to her head in several places, but nothing in the area of her brain."

"Well, I never..."

Suddenly Roland brought his had to his mouth and cleared his throat, but it sounded like a fake clearing. When he was done, he changed his sentence.

"Well, she never hit herself on the head so I figured her brain should be alright...What about her chin?"

"No, that wouldn't cause that. A chin injury wouldn't cause the amnesia she has."

Rachel placed her hand over her chin and a purplish glow emanated from her fingers and the swelling went down as the wound healed. She proceeded to heal other wounds on her face and body too.

Marianne realized something in regards to Rachel's questions and if she could figure out a common point between the time she remembers and the world she was in now, then that would be a good starting point to figure out what went wrong and how she ended up in this world.

"Rachel?"

"Yes, my queen?"

"I want to answer that last question you asked about what I remember doing with my husband last."

Rachel turned around and looked to Roland for his approval.

"Sure, go ahead."

Marianne said, "I remember Bog...The attack on Bog's castle"

Roland began to laugh as he said, "Bog's castle was destroyed by me. You remember that?"

"Yes, honey, I remember that clear as if it happened yesterday."

"Your Majesty, may I use the bathroom?" Rachel asked. "I have to pee."

"Sure."

Rachel turned around and headed for the bathroom, Marianne noticed that her wings were torn and had holes in them to.

Marianne looked to Roland and said, "I also remember, my dad threw you in the dungeon for doing that without a direct order from him and also for putting your hand on my throat during an argument that evening."

"No, that isn't what happened. I was never in the dungeon. Wow, you are really out of it."

Marianne suddenly realized something happened that very day when she met Bog, for Roland and her remember the destruction of Bog's castle. But yet, Roland doesn't remember what happened afterwards. So something happened that night, and she was determined to find out what. The key was her sister. She was there that night with her. She would know what happened. But perhaps there was another way to find out...perhaps through Roland himself.

"Okay you are the smart one here, you tell me your version since I am so out of it."

Roland moved between Marianne and the bathroom rood and he leaned over her as he said, "Bog is dead. I killed him. When I brought the castle down it crushed him and he never came out of it alive."

"No No, you are lying."

Suddenly Marianne felt a sick feeling within her that told her Roland was indeed telling the truth. That was the key.

She suddenly started to breathe heavy and this time she couldn't control the feeling as it welled up inside of her. She screamed out in agony as she felt a crushing feeling in her chest, "Noooooooooooooooooo! My Bog...NO!

Roland's face suddenly became pale as he said, "Who do you Love, Marianne? You love me ,right?"

Marianne was near hysterics and tears rolled down her face when she cried out, "I LOVE BOG! I always loved him and I always will love him."

"Damn! No! It can't be! The potion supposed to last forever."

Marianne, through her tears, said, "What? What do you mean the potion?"

"The love potion. I hit you with it and you loved me! You loved me every day these past few months. I don't know what happened. It couldn't have worn off Sugar Plum said it doesn't off.

Suddenly the bathroom door burst open slamming Roland in the back and he collapsed to a kneeling position on the floor.

Seeing an opportunity Marianne grabbed him by his lapel and socked him in the face. She felt a sting run right through her fist.

Roland cackled like a hen and said, "Marianne you are so weak, Rachel could probably beat you up...Speaking of whom..."

Roland stopped mid sentence as now he felt a hand reach around his neck and his razor was in that hand.

Rachel said, "Don't move a muscle. I have had it with your lies and your cheating ways. I have had it with taking physical abuse from you. I see how you have abused Queen Marianne and locked her away up here against her will. You seduced her with a love potion to keep her quiet. I am going to expose you for it. The people will see you hang for abusing her.

"Please! You will do no such thing you weak stupid B-&-!" Roland said as he reached up and grabbed Rachel's hand and easily pulled her away from his neck, he continued to squeeze her hand until Marianne could hear the bones in her hand being crushed and the razor fell from her hand.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Rachel screamed out.

Suddenly a rage began to swell inside of Marianne and she was NOT going to be abused any longer. Even if it meant spending the rest of her life in a dungeon. Life didn't matter any more without her Bog anyway. She grabbed Roland by the lapel with her left hand and she made a fist with her right hand.

"I am not taking your effing s-t any longer you scaly backed cockroach!" she screamed out.

Taking a tip from her sister, Marianne began to wind up her arm in an underhand fashion.

Roland's eyes grew wide and then...

"WHAM!"

Almost in slow motion, Marianne watched in awe as Roland actually lifted up off the ground and flew towards the bathroom door. Teeth flew out of his mouth and his head hit the door with a massive thud and as he slid down the door, it left a large blood trail behind on the door panel.

"Oh My Goodness my queen! I think you killed him!" Rachel said both shocked and excited at the same time.

Marianne noticed that his chest was still rising and falling, so he was till alive. But she knew that Rachel and herself were in deep trouble unless they could expose Roland for the monster he was. So far Rachel and herself were proof of being abused and more then likely there were others too.

"No, he is still alive," Marianne told Rachel.

"That was amazing! But I don't understand...the effects of the potion somehow wore off," Rachel said as she placed her hand over the broken one and a purplish glow came forth and she began to heal her hand. Rachel pointed to his pouch and said, "Get his keys! Get his keys!"

As Marianne tried to move her right arm, she couldn't and it hurt like crazy. Also her hand began to sting.

"Uhhhhh Rachel, I think I broke my wrist and dislocated my shoulder."

Rachel then began to move the fingers in the hand she just healed, "It still hurts but it is functional."

She then put her hand on Marianne's and a purplish glow formed around her hand and wrist It was a strong tingling feeling that was a bit on the painful side, but she fixed it rather quickly.

"The shoulder is going to be a bit painful as I have to push that back in manually."

"Go, go ahead. Make it fast, we have to get out of here."

Rachel put one hand on the inside of Marianne's arm and the other on her shoulder. Just then Roland made a groaning sound.

"Okay, here we go, three, two, one and..."

Her shoulder popped back into it's socket with a loud pop.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhrrhghhghhhhh!" Marianne screamed out.

Rachel put her hand on her shoulder and a glow appeared and the pain subsided. She then rifled through Roland's pouch and pulled out the key for the door saying, "This is it!"

Marianne saw the razor on the floor and snatched up as the two woman quickly headed over to the door and Rachel unlocked it. They exited into the hallway and locked the door behind them.

Marianne then said, "Leave the key in and step back."

Rachel did so and Marianne gave the lock a swift kick breaking the tumbler right out of the door. She picked up the remains of the key and tossed the tumbler into an adjacent room.

"It will take them a long time to get him out of there."

Rachel threw her arms around Marianne and said, "Thank you, my queen."

"I don't mean to be rude, Rachel, but let's hug later. Right now I need to find my sister and get the hell out of this castle."

"Where are we going to go?"

"The Dark Forest."

"What? We can't go there, that place reeks of death. It is a terrible place since the Bog King died. Surprisingly he kept order in there and we were at peace. But after he died, there has been many goblin attacks on the castle. I think they are running out of food in there and they are coming out to see what we have."

"I have to see for myself, I don't believe he is dead, I can feel him for some reason. But first let's get my sister. Where is she?"

"She's in the dungeon."

"What?" Marianne asked and then said, "Lets keep moving you can tell me on the way...Can you fly?"

"Barely...my wings are ruined and it is taking me a long time to fix them, but I have found a way to heal them and I have gotten them to the point where I can fly again."

The two took to flying, but Rachel was a but unsteady and Marianne found she had to hold her hand to balance her.

"Why is Dawn in the dungeon?"

Rachel continued, "She was locked away for treason when she found out you were being abused. She tried to free you from that room and had a run in with Roland and she threatened to kill him."

"Dawn? That can't be, Dawn wouldn't hurt a fly...let alone Roland. She couldn't either. You seen my sister, she is a tiny thing, about the way I look now."

"Wow, you really have lost a lot of your memory. Dawn is big, Marianne. She's slightly bigger than you used to be."

Marianne's eyes widened as they flew down the hall. As they flew down the main hall, Marianne got a good look at the castle and it was in disrepair. The walls were dark with moss and mildew and many of the light spheres have gone dark. Most of the beautiful ornate scroll work was falling apart.

Marianne said, "Does the rest of the castle look like this?"

"Yes and worse. We have a problem with it leaking when it rains...which explains all the moss."

Marianne shook her head and said, "Oh, if my Dad would see this, he would turn over in his grave."

She then wanted to find out more about her father's death and she said, "Rachel, how did my dad really die."

"I am not clear on that, I know he went out on a boat trip with Roland and you. When you came back, you had that scar on your face, the big one on your cheek. I could never fully get rid of it."

When they came around the corner, Marianne stopped in front of the ornate doors to the dining room. All the gold inlays were gone, the ornate scroll work rotted away. The doors were just two large brown massed with no detail.

"Oh no, the dining room doors!"

"Don't go in there, that room is one of the ones in the worst condition. Roland hasn't done a darn thing to fix it."

"Let's go and continue with what you were saying about my Dad."

"Well, what I think what happened is your father witnessed Roland giving you that scar," Rachel said as she pointed to the large scar on her cheek. "Your father seeing Roland exposed himself for the monster he is and seeing you being physically battered could have been enough of a trigger to cause the heart attack. Your father might have even tried to prevent it from happening and struggling with Roland could have caused it too. Nothing is clear. I just know something awful happened on that boat that day and the next day Roland was sworn in as King. Then things went south from there."

"What about me, didn't I remember this?"

"No. You didn't remember it. So only Roland knows the truth."

"What was his excuse for this?"

"You fell and scraped your face on a metal shroud in the cabin on the boat. He even showed it to me, but the shroud was a curved piece of metal and it would never cause that. That mark on your face was done with something sharp. Also it didn't explain your memory loss. When I tried to heal your face, I did a complete scan of your head and noticed a noticed a small bump on the back of your head. So that blew a hole in his shroud theory because you fell back and hit your head, not forward as he says."

"Why didn't you come forward about this?"

"Back then, no one would have believed me."

Marianne and Rachel flew down to the next level taking cover any time a soldier walked by. They finally made it down to the dungeon level and now Marianne faced passing the guards. But as she looked around the corner to whom was sitting at the guard's desk she was happy to find Sir Benny behind the counter.

Rachel looked at Marianne and began to run her fingers through her hair to straighten it out a bit as she said, "Just trying to make you look a little better."

"Thank you."

Marianne stood up straight and pushed her chest out as she walked into the room in a regal manner and approached the desk. Sir Benny was busy writing something down and didn't even look up as he said, "Yes, what can I do for you?"

Marianne said, "I beg your pardon, Sir Benny, is that anyway to address your queen."

Benny fully looked looked up from his paper and his eyes widened as he stood up and said, "Oh, dear! I am so sorry, Your Highness, Queen Marianne ma'am."

He took her hand and kissed it as he bowed as he continued, "This is an unexpected pleasure as I normally do not see you come down here. In fact most of us rarely see you anymore. I have to say that I am very happy you are here."

"Well, I come in person because I want to secure the release of my sister and the Sugar Plum Fairy."

Benny scratched his head as he said, "I can definitely release your sister, for you, but not Sugar Plum, I need your husband's release for that."

"May I speak with her then?"

"Sure, absolutely, your highness."

"I need you to come with us."

"Well, I have to come with you as I have to unlock the door."

"Oh, yes, of course."

Sir Benny went to a lock box and got the keys for the dungeon doors and noticed Rachel standing in the doorway.

"Why is she here?"

"She is with me. I figured if my sister has any cuts or bruises that Rachel can heal them for her."

Benny nodded and he unlocked the cell block door. He had Marianne and Rachel follow him down the cell block.

He got to the first one and laying on the bed was her sister. While the room was dimly lit, Marianne could still make out her hair style and the light blue silk dress she always wore.

"Dawn!" she said excitedly.

Her sister lifted her head from the bed and in her soft meek voice she said, "Marianne? No it can't be. Is that you, I haven't seen you in so long!"

"I am getting you out of here, sis."

"Really?"

"Yes!"

Dawn got up and she stepped under the light in the room. Rachel was right, Dawn was big. She grew taller as well and was now almost as tall as she is and her muscular definition was very pronounced. She was a bit curvier now too, but still retained her feminine look. To Marianne she looked very good, despite her needing a bath and some new clothes, as her dress was torn and repaired in many places. It was clearly too small for her now as it fell at just above her ankles now.

Marianne stood in awe but then Dawn spread her toned arms outward and smiled and she had that sweet giggle she knew. The two rushed into each other's arms. Suddenly Marianne started to feel smothered.

"Uhhhh, sis! A little air here!" Marianne said her voice a bit muffled.

"Oh, I am sorry, sometimes I don't know my own strength. But it is just that I am so happy to see you."

"Yes I am happy to see you too." Marianne said as she kissed Dawn on the cheek. "You are as sweet as you ever were, but just a lot bigger."

Dawn was still over zealous and she kissed Marianne square on the mouth. As Dawn held her a warm feeling came over her as in a strange role reversal she wondered if this is what Dawn felt when she held her when her arms were big and strong.

Dawn said, "What happened to you, Marianne. You used to be bigger than me, now you are scarcely larger than Rachel."

"I don't know...I don't remember a lot actually. I don't even remember you getting this big. How did you get in such good shape, especially when everyone else here is so thin."

"I took a tip from you sis, and since there wasn't much to do here anyway, I started to work out. Benny has been helping me too...he gets me food and slowly I started to notice I was getting more definition and I just kept going with it. I am waiting for the day where I will confront Roland for what he did to you. I want to beat the living crap out of him for hurting you."

Marianne smiled as now again, the roles were reversed and Dawn was her big little sister and wanted to protect her, she said, "Even though I don't remember. I can see that I have been physically abused and I want to expose Roland to the public. They have to know he is regularly beating me.

Rachel spoke up and said, "He has beaten me too."

Dawn looked over her sister's shoulder and said to Benny, "Do you hear that Sir Benny? According to my calculations, that is at least three women that have come forward on physical abuse by the king including his wife."

"Yes, Princess, this is the first time I have seen Queen Marianne up close and I can see for myself that she has also been abused."

Marianne then turned to him and said, "So he has abused other women too?"

"Yes, my queen," he said. "The count is actually up to six now."

Marianne said, "Wait a minute Dawn, you said you know of three women. If you know of Rachel and I, who is the third woman?"

Suddenly Dawn's eyes welled up and her chin wrinkled.

"Oh no...No. No. Not you!"

Dawn shook nodded her head and said, "He raped me."

After a long pause, Dawn continued. "That is another reason why I wanted to work out and get strong. If he came near me again, I would beat the crap out of him."

Marianne's eyes flew open and suddenly her body began to shake as the rage built up within her and she screamed out.

"Nooooooooooooooooo! Now I want to kill him myself!"

Benny patted his hands down and said, "Shhhh Shhhhh my queen."

Marianne embraced Dawn and rubbed her back as her sister cried on her shoulder. Marianne glared at Benny as she said, "If you know about this, why hasn't anything been done about it? You're Chief at Arms."

Benny shook his head and said, "My queen, Roland has many people on his side. Starting with his cronies, the triplet brothers. They are dangerous...especially Daniel and he is Chief at Arms, not me. When Roland became king, I was immediately demoted to a desk job here in the dungeon. I never was promoted to Chief at Arms."

Marianne held a hand to her head and said, "Alright tell, me what has been going on here since Roland attacked Bog's castle. That is as far as I can remember to."

"Oh wow, you really lost your memory, my queen. Hold on, I will fill you in in a moment"

He walked back to the main door to the cell block and looked around to make sure no one was around. He came back and said, "Ok, first, it is good to have you back, my queen. I have not seen this side of you in a long time. I have to say that life under King Roland is terrible. Most of us are practically starving. He doesn't care about us...only himself and his friends. He squandered all the kingdom's money and the castle has been falling apart."

"Yes, that I have seen myself."

"Conditions became so bad in the town, especially with the goblin attacks, that the elves abandoned us to seek life elsewhere," Benny explained.

"No!" Marainne exclaimed. "No more Sunny, No more Pare?"

"No, they are all gone."

"But isn't Sunny in love with Dawn."

"What?!" Dawn exclaimed as she released her embrace with her sister. "No sis, I cared for Sunny, and he was my best friend, but given that he is an elf and I am a fairy, we never confessed our love for each other. He left with the others."

"Oh no, this is terrible," Marianne said as she clenched her hands into fists and shook them. "This keeps getting worse and worse!"

"But...I do have someone I am falling for."

"Really?" Marianne said as her anger eased up a bit.

"Yes. It's Benny, here."

"Oh...you are both in love with each other?"

"Well, it is still too soon to tell, but I am developing feelings for Dawn and I want to see where this goes," he said as he smiled. "What can I say, I love a strong woman."

"Well, I don't mean to rush, but unless there is more you can tell me, I need to get to Sugar Plum now.

"Oh Yes, my queen, she is all the way at the end, come this way."

Benny brought everyone to the last cell and he unlocked the door. In the middle of the cell was a huge concrete enclosure. He opened the massive thick door to the enclosure and allowed everyone to enter.

Marianne said, "What is the matter with Roland...he entombed her in this?"

Benny replied, "Yeah, to keep her mouth shut. This enclosure is completely soundproof. Only Roland and I have the key to it and he forbids anyone including me to go this far into the cell block...let alone open her cell.

Marianne crossed her arms and said, "Sounds like that idiot has something to hide and she's the key."

As Marianne peered into the enclosure, in the corner she could see that Sugar Plum was held in the same magical orb prison that Bog kept her in. She approached her prison ball and peered in. Inside Sugar Plum was meditating but she slowly opened her eyes. Then they flew open wide and her face lit up.

"Have I died and gone to fairy heaven? I am seeing things...is that you Princess Marianne?"

"Yes, but I am a queen now, Marianne said as she looked to Benny."

"Ummmm, Sugar Plum actually knows less than you, but after what I have seen tonight, I think there is a connection between your memory loss and the reason why Roland has forbidden anyone to speak with her."

Marianne looked back into the sphere and said, "I have to ask you something."

"Yes, your highness, I will do anything for you. I am just happy to see you alive. I did find out about the passing of your father and I am deeply sorry for that. You have my condolences."

"Thank you. But I need to know what happened that day when Roland destroyed Bog's castle," she said.

Marianne was beginning to get choked up and tears were welling up in her eyes as she said, "Is Bog really dead?"

Suddenly Sugar Plum's eyes started to well up and she said, "I hate to give you bad news because I know he was the man you truly loved. But yes, he died saving you and your sister when the castle collapsed on top of him."

Again Marianne felt the anxiety build up within her and she wanted to scream out, but all she did was collapse to the floor. Dawn reached down and picked her sister back up and held her close to her chest.

"There is more my sweet queen and this is important for you to hear."

"Go on, please."

"When Bog died, Roland doused you with the love potion."

"Yes, I remember that. But you said the potion will not work on someone that is already in love with someone. I was in love with Bog. I still AM in love with Bog, so it shouldn't have worked."

"Ahhhhhh, but the point you are missing, sweetheart, is that even though you were in love with Bog, once he died, you were technically no longer in love with anyone. Without true love's binding...the potion worked."

Marianne instantly stopped crying when she realized what Sugar Plum said, a look of horror appeared on her face and suddenly it all fell into place.

Marianne looked to Benny and said, "If this was the case, why did my dad allow a marriage, why did the people accept it knowing I was under the spell of a love potion."

Benny said, "Your father and I tried to separate you two. You repeated threatened harm to yourself if you weren't with Roland."

Sugar Plum lowered her head and said, "I tried to break the spell, but couldn't."

"We just ended up rolling along with it and at first Roland was good to you...but after your father's death, he changed and we suddenly we started to see less and less of you. Then slowly your appearance started to change."

Sugar Plum said, "The only way I know of to break the spell is if you found love, true love, through someone else. I thought of a way...if I could get to you and somehow trick you into thinking Bog was alive, your feelings for him, your love for him, might have been strong enough to break the spell. But I was locked away in here and couldn't test that theory. But even if I was free, Roland would have never let me near you."

"Trick me?"

"I know it sounds mean and cruel, but I was willing to try anything."

She shook her head and said, "I have to see him...I have to see Bog's resting place."

Benny said, "Sugar Plum, thank you. I think I have enough information to put Roland away for good and restore Marianne as the true ruler of this kingdom. Once I do that I am sure I can secure your release."

"I would appreciate that, Sir Benny. I will help you in anyway to see that monster overthrown. I have a personal vendetta with him myself."

Benny backed away and then Dawn looked into Sugar Plum's sphere and said, "Hi! Sugar Plum. I am sure you remember me even though I look different."

"Of course, Dawn, it is nice to see you. Oh my you have grown a bit...your shoulders are so large."

"Well, I knew my sister liked to work out and I being in jail...well, there isn't much to do, so I worked out."

"You look good, not thin like the rest of us."

Marianne said, "We have to go, it is only going to be a matter of time before the brother's find Roland."

Benny said, "What did you do to him, my queen?"

"I knocked his lights out and knocked a few of his teeth out in the process. He is still alive, but Rachel and I locked him in our room.

"Wow, that's not good. But I am glad to see you got your fire back."

Marianne's eyebrows raised and she whipped around and said to Sugar Plum, "I have another question. Why after all this time did the potion wear off and I lost so much of my memory."

"I don't know...it isn't supposed wear off, but I have noticed by looking into your eyes that the potion's signature is gone. To me it is a miracle that you are back. But I am thankful for it, for I feel you will set things straight.

"I will do that, Sugar Plum. But now I want to see Bog's resting place."

Benny said, "I can't risk letting you take more than one person with you my queen."

"I am taking my sister then."

"I figured you would."

Everyone bid Sugar Plum a good night and Benny locked her cell back up. He took Marianne and Dawn out of the cell block and opened up a panel in which there were a bunch of weapons. He grabbed two long swords and scabbards from the cabinet as well as a few light spheres. He handed a sword to Dawn. She shook her head and pointed to a pair of long daggers that were on a belt harness with dual holders.

"I prefer those," she said as she raised her eyebrows.

"Ok," Benny said as he grabbed the double dagger belt and fitted it to Dawn's waist. "These are very close range only unless you throw them."

"Oh, like this?" Dawn asked as she took one of the daggers and flung it across the room in Rachel's direction

The dagger landed in the wall about head's distance away from Rachel's head. Rachel's eyes were as wide as dinner plates and she stood frozen in that spot.

Benny said, "Uhhhhh, yeah you got the idea."

"Dawn! Was that necessary?" Marianne said.

"Nope! I was just showing off a bit. I was practicing with sticks that size in my cell, I wanted to see if I could do it."

"And to think you were the one that wouldn't hurt a fly."

"I wont hurt a fly. But if someone tries to hurt you sis, I can protect you now."

"Oh, Dawn...you're always so sweet."

Next, Benny handed Marianne a long sword and scabbard.

"You remember how to use this, right?" he asked.

"You better believe it," Marianne said confidently as she drew the sword.

Upon leaving the scabbard, Marianne's eyes widened as she found she couldn't pick the sword up with one hand anymore and it fell right to the floor.

Marianne then used both hands and she could manage to lift it up, but she had very little control over it.

"No! Why am I so weak! I can't even pick up a sword!"

Benny rifled through the cabinet and then pulled out a special medium width short sword.

"Here, try this, it is very light."

Marianne took the sword and amazingly it felt about the way her long sword did. She was able to maneuver it and block and strike. Even though her moves weren't as controlled as they used to be, she could definitely manage.

"I remember you when you used to fight...you were so good with a sword. Nice to see that you remember those skills."

"Alright, lets go," Benny said as he started for the stairs.

"I thought you weren't coming with us?"

"I have to lead you to the way out...almost every way in and out of the castle is locked or barred. I know of the only place that is free to the sky."

The four of them proceeded to the next landing and Benny said, "Rachel has to go her way now. The more of us that are together, the greater the chance we will be caught."

Marianne turned to Rachel and held her as she said, "Thank you for everything. You have been a good friend."

Rachel nodded and said, "I wanted to find a way to redeem myself for the trouble I cause you when Roland cheated on you with me. I was hoping so long for this day where I can right my wrong. Us battered women need to stick together."

"Yes, we do and Thank You."

Dawn was near tears when she embraced Rachel and said, "Thank you for saving my sister."

"Ooooff! Princess Dawn! I need air!"

Dawn released her and said, "Ooops, I did it again."

"Wow you are strong. I don't know guys that can hug like that."

Rachel said goodbye to everyone one more time and she took off. Everyone else started to go up to the next landing when they suddenly heard voices and it was Rachel talking with Daniel. He was asking where King Roland was. She was making some excuse that he fell asleep and doesn't wish to be disturbed. Marianne knew she was buying them time and they quickly moved to the main hall. It was getting close to dinner time and now the main hall had more activity in it, but Benny managed to slip the Marianne and Dawn into the dining room. Marianne looked up and grimaced at the deplorable shape the dining room was in. It looked ten times worse then when Bog accidentally set it on fire. She couldn't look at the room for long because Benny ushered her and Dawn onto the balcony and he closed the door behind him. He turned to Queen Marianne and Princess Dawn.

"Go and be safe, my queen...we need you to come back and free us from King Roland's rule."

"I will." Mariannne said.

Benny looked to Dawn and said, "You both come back now you hear? I think I want to have a future with you."

Suddenly Dawn wrapped her arms around Benny and he just planted a firm kiss on her lips. The kiss grew deep very fast and both Benny and Dawn started to moan.

Marianne said, "Ummmm, Dawn we have to go."

They gently pulled away from each other and both said, "Wow!" together.

"Your kiss is amazing." she said as she giggled.

"Your kiss is amazing too," he said.

Dawn giggled and her face started to turn red and she arched her large shoulders forward. Even though she had a different body, she was still the same cute adorable sister that Marianne remembered.

"I think I love you Dawn."

"I think I love you too Benny."

He took a couple deep breaths and said, "Now you have to come back, because I want another kiss like that."

"I'll come back, because I want the same."

Benny turned to Marianne and said, "Go now and make haste. I will take care of things here."

Marianne turned to Benny and also gave him a kiss on his cheek and said, "Thank you for being on my side."

"Your Welcome...and if I don't see you again. I do hope to see you again in another life, you are a formidable woman and a true warrior, Queen Marianne and it has always been a pleasure to serve you and your family."

"Thank you."

Marianne and Dawn took to wing and headed off in the direction of the Dark Forest. It was getting dark out and the sky was a dark blue. There still was some light to shine the way and as Marianne looked down below, she was horrified at the condition of the Kingdom. They took a path over what was left of the elf village and it was completely deserted and falling apart. It was a ghost town now. Nothing was growing there. Various houses and walkways have collapsed. Some structures were barely recognizable. The more ornate corner of the village where Sunny used to live was completely gone...long blown away by winds. As they began to cross the meadow area between the kingdoms, Marianne remembered how it was all abloom with flowers and now it was all dry and arid. There were large areas of stripped grass and what wasn't stripped was burned from the summer heat. The damage to the meadow was extensive.

On their way to approaching the Dark Forest, Marianne was already getting tired and she could feel she was starting to breathe hard. The normally short and easy flight to the Dark Forest started to become long and labored. No doubt the holes and tears in her wings kept her back, but her wing muscles were starting to ache and pull as she continued to fly. She started to breathe heavier and heavier. It was when she saw the Dark Forest trees that she opened her mouth and started to pant. Dawn on the other hand was effortlessly gliding and breathing normally. She looked to her sister and a puzzled look was in her eyes.

Dawn said, "Are you alright sis? You are laboring."

"I am having a hard time, Dawn," she said between breathes. "I could normally fly this with ease...even race this distance. But I am having trouble now."

"Let me carry you then."

At first Marianne couldn't fathom the idea of her younger sister carrying her. But when she outstretched her arm to her, Marianne looked at the size of her forearm and it was very large. She knew she always loved it when Bog carried her. She flew over to her sister and folded her wings as she pulled her arm around her hips and the other arm around her shoulders. Suddenly Dawn had a determined look in her eye and she pumped her wings hard and they raced forward. Marianne smiled is if it was herself shooting through the meadow. It felt good too. She found that being carried by Dawn was just as nice as being carried by Bog. She closed her eyes and rubbed her sister's arms and pretended she was being carried by her lover. She pressed her head back into her sister's chest, and she kept praying that this nightmare would soon be over.

Soon they were on the Dark Forest border and suddenly Dawn slowed down and they landed right in front of the Dark Forest.

Dawn grimaced as she drew one of her daggers and said, "I don't think we should go in there Marianne. I hear very bad things about this place."

"So do I, but I have to see where Bog is."

"Can't you just accept he is dead?"

"No it is not like that, there is a force pulling me to where I saw him last that night when his castle was destroyed. I have to do this."

"Okay."

Dawn grabbed a hold of Marianne and she took to wing with her in her arms and they slowly entered the dark forest togeher. Much changed from when Marianne seen it last. It was all darkness as far as the eye could see...which wasn't very far at all. All the beautiful lights and plants were either dark or gone. The beauty that she once knew when Bog ruled was all gone. Many of the trees looked like they were dying. As they ventured deeper into the woods there was evidence of a large activity of spiders. Webs appeared all over the place. Soon a foggy haze appeared on the forest floor. Marianne suddenly burst out into tears at what the Dark Forest became.

"Shhhh Shhhh, sis. Your crying is going to attract attention," Dawn whispered as she pulled Marianne closer to her face. "I think we should turn back, I am getting scared. This place is giving me the creeps in the worst way."

"I can't believe you are still so timid with this powerful body you have."

"Marianne I am not like you, and my personality hadn't changed like yours did when you got big. Even though I am more confident with my new body, and I look like warrior, I am not a warrior like you. Inside I am petrified beyond all reason."

Finally the remnants of the bridge that lead to Bog's old castle came into view. They landed on the ledge and looked down into the mist below. Dawn slapped a light sphere a few times and tossed it down into the abyss below. After a few moments the mist began to glow and some of the dark creatures flew out to get away from the light.

All of a sudden a rough gravely voice called out, "What the...Yes! I found food!"

Marianne's eyes flew open wide as a huge goblin bounded towards them. She took a light sphere of her own and began to whack it. Dawn drew her daggers and twirled them around before grasping them and she held them toward the approaching creature. As a glow began to emanate from the sphere, the goblin that approached shielded his eyes. Marianne then drew her sword.

"Ahhhhh, that's too bright!"

As it got brighter, Marianne noticed a mark on the arm of the goblin. That mark identified him as Brutus. But he looked different. His chest and arms were large, but his midsection was very thin."

"Brutus, is that you?" Marianne said as she pulled the light away.

"Princess Marianne! Princess Dawn?!" He exclaimed. He looked to Dawn and his eye grew wide, "You got big!"

"Brutus what happened here?"

"You not know?"

"No, I lost my memory in an accident and I only remember up to the night when Bog's castle was destroyed.

"We thought you were dead! When the boss died, there was no leadership, no home to go to. Everyone go their own way...but then something happened to the forest. It is dying."

"I can see that. But what is causing it?"

"No Bog King. Everything go wrong since your people come and kill our king."

"No Brutus, we didn't kill him," she said as she pointed to Dawn and herself.

"B.K. fell in love with you and gave his life for you and you disappear! Brutus angry with you. We all are starving now."

Brutus started to come closer and was showing his long teeth. In a worried tone Marianne said, "No No, please Brutus. I was under a spell. I was hit with the love potion that day, you were there and saw it too."

"Yes, but you love the boss, it shouldn't have worked according to that witch Sugar Plum."

"Yes, I love Bog with all my heart. But I was told because he died, I was no longer bound to him with my love and the potion worked and I fell slave to Roland...who beat me and cheated on me and kept me locked away in a room these past few months.

Marianne held the light sphere close to her face and Brutus came close and looked her over and said, "You don't look like how I remember you. You were always pretty and strong like your sister look now."

"Yes, Brutus."

"So Roland is responsible for all this?"

"Yes! You know I love the Dark Forest and I would have never willingly let the forest come to this," Marianne said as tears rolled down her cheek."

"I see look in your eye...you speak truth."

"Please can you let me go down and see him for myself, I want to pay my last respects to him."

"Alright, you have five minutes. Then you must get out of here."

"Is that your order...do you rule here, Brutus?" Marianne asked.

"No... that be my time estimate before this area becomes alerted to your presence and invested with hungry goblins. While I have been able to hold my hunger back and spare you because you were friend to the Bog King...the others will not be forgiving. Your sister here can easily feed four or five my size and I must say she looks like a beautiful hunk of meat to me," he said as he ran his tongue over his mouth. "Beautiful lean muscle tasty."

Dawn jumped back in fright, but quickly Marianne put her arm around Brutus and gave him a kiss on the cheek as she softly said, "Thank you Brutus."

Suddenly his demeanor changed when she kissed him. He said in a little less of a gruff tone, "You always kind to me. I am glad to see you again. Fine...I will hold off anyone that initially approaches...but then you and Dawn must leave. You're wasting time, now go."

Marianne and Dawn flew down into the abyss which was now well lit from the light sphere. The pile of rubble was enormous, but the two ladies had an idea of where to look. They were searching for the huge skull entrance. It didn't take them too long to find it. It was under a huge section of bark. Marianne tried to lift it but it was too heavy for her. But Dawn easily pushed over to the side. Then finally Marianne saw for herself, for lodged in the teeth of the skull was Bog's lower right arm.

"No, No. Nooooo, it is true." Marianne cried out and she tried to push the enormous skull aside.

Dawn again came over and tried to push the skull aside, but it was even heavy for her. She grunted and groaned and it didn't move. Marianne jumped in and helped along as well. As she was pushing, she looked to her sister and she could see the muscles in her arms bulging. She was breathing deeply and as her chest expanded her dress started to rip under her arms. The skull was sitting on a pivot point and as Marianne and her sister pushed it finally slid and tipped up enough for Marianne to crawl in and look underneath. But inside, there was nothing. What was left was the crumpled and faded boutonnière that Dawn gave to him. His stuck arm was severed at the elbow and the rest of him was gone. Dawn came in behind Marianne and saw the boutonnière and she started to cry herself.

Marianne cried out, "Noooooooooo! My Bog! Why? Why am I here! This is not my life! Did I die and this is my hell? Why am I being punished like this! Bog! I love you! I can't live without you!

"Shhh Marianne. You're getting too loud. Please keep it together, sis, he's dead.

Brutus' voice rang out from above, "Princesses' your time up! Get out of here now!"

There was rustling sounds coming from all around them.

Dawn said, "Marianne, we have to go, now! I am getting scared."

Marianne nodded as she took the crumpled boutonnière and held it to her heart. She then suddenly grabbed one of the knives from Dawns belt and she positioned it, point first over the boutonnière which she held over her heart.

"No! Marianne!"

"I don't want to go on anymore without him. He was my everything. No one loved me like him. The last time I saw him I was cross with him for ruing the dining hall. But it WAS an accident."

"You are not making any sense, Sis. Now come home with me, we have our problem to fix there. Don't take your life and leave me. Please. You are the only family I have left and I need you.

Some large goblins were slowly approaching them. They were very dark in appearance and all had large teeth.

As Marianne looked at the dagger that was pointed to her heart and then she realized her sister was right, for whatever her fate was in this world, leaving Dawn behind would be selfish. Bog was gone and there was nothing she do about it. Suddenly Dawn just snatched it out of her hands and she pulled her out from behind the skull. She wrapped her arms around her and then lept up just as one of the large goblins that was approaching lunged at them. It only manged to clip the tip of Dawn's toes. As Dawn rose higher and higher, she could see the mass of goblins that were gathering below and they looked up as their mouths filled with large teeth were salivating.

Dawn decided to go straight up figuring it was the safest route to go instead of following the road out. She was weaving through the dead branches of one of the larger trees and shot out of the top of the forest.

Marianne was very distraught and all she could think about was Bog. Even now she closed her eyes and held on to her sisters large forearms and thought back to when she was being carried by him. A strong feeling of not wanting to go on consumed her and she started to sing.

 **(Without You – Nilsson)**

(Marianne)

 _No, I can't forget_ _how_ _much_ _you care_ _  
_ _Now that_ _I am stuck within this nightmare_ _  
_ _But I guess this_ _is_ _how my life is going to go_ _  
And now it's only fair that I_ _want to_ _let you know  
What you should know_

(Suddenly the area around them began to erupt with a loud melody that seemed to blare throughout the Kingdom. Marianne looked to her sister's face and she could see tears rolling down her cheeks.)

 _I can't live if living is without you  
I can't live, I can't give any more  
I can't live if living is without you  
I can't give, I can't give any more_

(Marianne found she was growing faint and her breathing became more and more labored as a pain began to swell in her heart, but through her tears and the feelings in her heart, she kept on singing as loud as she could.)

(Marianne – higher pitch)

 _I can't live if living is without you!  
I can't live, I can't give any more!  
I can't live if living is without you!  
I can't give, I can't give any more!_

 _Ohhhhhhhhhhh_

 _If living is without you._

(As she sang out the last line of her song, Marianne passed out.)

Marianne awoke and blinked her eyes as the morning light came through her window. She was staring at the canopy over her bed. Much to her relief she wasn't in her father's room, but her own room.

She found that she was completely wrapped up in her bed sheet and it was wound around her mid section. She also noticed that her face, the pillows and her nightie were completely wet. Given how cold the nights were she got a very cold chill. She also had a feeling like she was sobbing heavily as her eyes felt crusty and her cheeks felt rough under each eye.

Suddenly an overwhelming feeling came over her and she shouted, "Oh thank the heavens! I am not dead! I am not in hell. I am home! It was just a really bad nightmare! But it all seemed so real."

She immediately hopped out of the bed and went over to her mirror and looked into it. Her face was the way she remembered. It was perfect with no scars and she no longer had the dark circles under her eyes. She pulled her arms close to her body and yelled out, "Yes!"

As she looked at her forearms when she yelled out, she could see how the lower part of her forearms expanded as she clenched her hands. She wiggled her fingers and could clearly see the muscle movements under her skin. She began to smile. She put her arms up and flexed her biceps as she looked in the mirror. They moved nicely up her arms and created a nice rounded peak as she squeezed and she noted her shoulders were nice and rounded again and the divots on top were there again. She began to pose in the mirror and her face lit up as she watched all of her arm muscles move beneath her skin. She brought her left arm over to her mouth and kissed her bicep.

"Yes! I have my big beautiful arms back! Oh I love 'em, I love 'em!"

She did a double take as she now looked at what she was wearing and it wasn't a mumu but a nice sexy looking green silk nightie. While it wasn't one of her fanciest nighties, it was a halter with a plunging neckline. She couldn't help but spread the bosom area apart and get a good look at her sternum. Gone were the ribs and back was the nice smooth taught long run that ran through to her abdomen.

"Yeah! Oh Yeah!" she called out.

She then pulled the skirt of her nightie up and looked down to her tummy and it was nice and flat, but not emaciated or concave, she could see the lines of definition coming and going as she squeezed her abs. She looked down further and locked her legs watching her quadriceps flex and bulge out a bit just above her knee. She flexed her calves and they formed a nice cute ball on the back of her legs with the indentation underneath them.

She sighed with relief as she slumped down on the bed, looked to the ceiling and exclaimed, "Oh, I got my body back!"

Suddenly she heard a voice yell out her name from way down the hall and it was the most beautiful sound she could hear. The beautiful wonderful voice of her Bog.

"Marianne! Marianne! Where's My dearest, beautiful Marianne!"

She couldn't help but scream out, "BOG! BOG! I want my BOG!"

She took to wing and opened the doors to her room and flew out. It was almost slow motion as she caught sight of her man and it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. What was more beautiful than seeing him, was how his face suddenly lit up and he came careening as fast as he could towards her. She lit up too and also began flying towards him. He began to look better and better the closer he got. They both opened up their arms and then wrapped them around each other tightly.

Marianne called out, "Oh You're Alive! Oh you make me so happy! I love hearing your voice! You make my name sound so sexy!"

She began to kiss him all over his face. "Mmmmuah Mmmmuah Mmmmuahhh!"

Bog said, "Oh that feels good dear! You have no idea how great it is to be alive and to see you."

Marianne continued to kiss him as she said, "Oh I am so sorry I was angry with you and said those mean things to you. I am sorry I was laughing at you."

"I am sorry I didn't take your holiday more seriously. I am sorry my mind wasn't were it should have been."

"Oh and thank you for saving me. You were so fast!"

"Anything, my dear. I would do anything to keep you safe."

He wrapped his lips around hers and immediately pressed his tongue into her mouth.

She took the feeling in, every nuance every movement. She started to become limp as the kiss deepened.

Suddenly there was the sound of someone clearing their throat. They separated their mouths and looked down. Out in the hall was Dawn, her father, and Yara and they were looking up at them."

Marianne said, "Whoops! Didn't know we had an audience."

Her and bog floated down slowly but still stayed in an embrace.

"Well, you woke up the whole entire floor!" King Dagda said. "What the heck happened? You both look like you been through something terrible together."

Bog and Marianne looked at each other and said at the same time, "I had the most horrible nightmare!"

Then they said together again, "Me too!"

Finally, they said together, "Tell me yours first!"

Everyone laughed at their repeated synchronization.

Bog finally said, "Ladies first!"

She waved her finger at him and said, "Ok you got me."

Marianne began to explain part of the story to him on how it started and his eyes grew wider and wider. He all of a sudden blurted out, "I had the same nightmare! But slightly different. It was weird actually."

"How so?" she asked?

"Well, I was experiencing everything you were. I was seeing what you were seeing through your eyes. I felt what you were feeling through your body. It was amazing amazing at first...but then when I saw what was happening around you and I was powerless to do anything the feelings you were experience were difficult for me to handle. I wanted to help you so much, but couldn't."

"So then you know everything?"

"Yes, all the way up to when you were singing, 'Without You.'"

Tears started to form in Marianne's eyes when she put her hand over her mouth and she said, "Oh my goodness you were with me the whole time!"

"Yes!"

King Dagda chuckled as he said to Yara, "I have never seen a couple that are more in tune with each other then these two. They even share the same nightmares together."

Everyone laughed.

"Hold those thoughts you two, we can discuss it over breakfast. Let me get dressed," he said as he was about to turn away, but then he turned to Bog and said, "Oh, Bog, my friend. This is something that can't wait...I wanted to personally apologize to you. You got the brunt end of everyone's anguish about the accident. I just wanted to let you know that I sat down with Dawn and the triplets and we had long talk about blaming you for this. I also forgot to say thank you to you for saving Marianne yet again. I know you love her and will not allow her to be harmed. Through your quick actions...the worst she got was the equivalent of a sunburn on her legs. Had you not been so fast, it could have been worse."

Marianne smiled at Bog as her father explained what has happened after he lost consciousness the day before. She reached over and gave him a gentle kiss and said, "Yes, thank you again for coming to my rescue."

Bog began to feel a lot better that he was forgiven for his mishap.

Marianne then said, "Dad, where are we going to have our meals now that the dining room is ruined?"

Bog grimaced when Marianne mentioned the dining room.

"Oh! I have had the tables moved to the great hall for the time being until we get the dining room repaired."

Everyone else nodded in acknowledgement.

King Dagda then pointed to Marianne and said, "Uhhhh, darling you might want to fix that night gown or put a robe over it."

Marianne looked down to her nightie and noticed that the top straps separated to the point were you could easily see the outlines of her bosom area.

She grimaced as she pulled the shoulder straps in closer to her neck and said, "I am sorry, I just got so excited that I didn't realize I was showing a bit."

Bog shook his head and said, "If you were out here naked that would be fine by me, as long as you are here with me."

Marianne's face lit up as she said, "Oh Bog!"

King Dagda laughed as he said, "Yeah, I am sure you probably would like that."

Yara said, "Oh and you wouldn't?"

She suddenly flipped her robe open to show the bathing bikini she was wearing underneath. Her arms were on her hips and her legs were crossed. But she only held the pose for a couple of seconds before pulling the robe back over herself. She started to turn and head back to her room, but she made sure she saw the look on King Dagda's face.

Bog looked over to him and his eyes were wide open and mouth agape.

Everyone laughed again. Yara the hardest. King Dagda came to and shook his head as he said, "Alright folks, lets get changed."

As Yara and King Dagda returned to their room, Dawn walked over to Marianne and Bog. He let go of Marianne and started to backup towards the opposite end of the hall.

In a meek voice, Dawn said, "I'm...I'm sorry for smacking you so hard. I know I knocked your lights out. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, the chin does feel much better, I guess the only thing that is hurting now is my pride after being decked out by the smallest member of the Farfalla family."

They all laughed and Dawn in particular had a cute little giggle and then she said, "Again, I am so sorry, Bog. I normally don't even get angry. It is just that I felt it building up inside of me and the thought of us not having an Almsgiving Day just made me snap. It was wrong of me to take it out on you and I broke may hand badly doing that. Thankfully, Rachel fixed me up."

"Dawn I was trying to stop you as that was the worst way you could throw a punch...but it came in handy."

"What?"

"In my nightmare I used that punch to help me out."

Bog said, "Yes, she did use it with spectacular results too. But she did hurt herself."

Dawn had a perplexed look on her face as she said, "This must have been some nightmare. I want to hear more."

"Well, let's not talk out here all day, I would like a hot breakfast," Marianne said.

Dawn nodded and said, "Ok, I will see you downstairs."

She went to her room and Bog followed Marianne to her room.

The sun was shining in her room and it was much brighter than the hall and she gasped a bit when she looked at his face.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

She reached up and began to rub under his eyes, "Oh Bog."

"What is it?"

"You have tear tracks on your face."

"I do? But I don't cry." he said.

"Look for yourself"

He looked in the mirror and she was right, he could see the outlines of what appeared to be the remnants of tears running down from his eyes and cheeks.

"I don't remember crying. Heck I don't even remember the last time I shed a tear."

"Maybe because I was crying so much, since you were seeing everything and feeling everything I was, you were crying too."

"Perhaps. I just know I don't ever want to go through something like that again."

"Me either."

Bog turned towards the wall and he said, "That song you sang in the dream...it crushed me inside, mainly because you were giving up. I never known you to give up on anything."

"Bog, I just want to let you know that those feelings are real, and I don't want to ever know a day without you. In the nightmare, I think I died in my sisters arms at the end. I could feel the crushing feeling around my heart and the life slowly leaving my body. I was so distraught about thinking of a life without you.

"I felt that too..."

Suddenly he could feel those feelings well up inside of him as he said, "Thank you for making me feel wanted and needed in this world. I feel that I am loved and cared for and needed by both kingdoms."

Marianne nodded her head in agreement and said, "I love you and I always will."

Bog reciprocated and said, "As I love you and always will."

After they stared into each other's eyes for a while she came too and said, "Oh! We better get ready, otherwise we will have a cold breakfast!"

"Yes, Yes...you are right. I'll go back to my room and wait for you."

Before Marianne could answer he opened the door and headed back to his own room. He got to his door and just rested his forehead head up against the door and sighed as he closed his eyes. Suddenly he felt a pair of hands grasp his arms and turn him around. It was Marianne. She wrapped her arms around his body and pressed him firmly into the door as she closed her eyes and her lips completely enveloped his. He knew where this one was going and he knew it was going to be deep. He just went along with her and their tongues danced around each other. It was an amazing feeling and he took every moment of it in. Every now and then he would open his eyes to look at her beautiful face. He noticed that she unfolded her wings and was opening and closing them slowly. It felt so good knowing she was so in love with him. He never felt more loved and needed than at that moment. He just closed his eyes and let her kiss get deeper and deeper.

 _After breakfast Marianne and Bog continued to tell everyone of their horrific dream:_

Bog said, "So it was the strangest thing I had ever experienced and the weird thing was, that every single detail Marianne saw, I saw, but I was completely powerless to do anything. Was I able to do something, you know what I would have done with that razor, right."

King Dagda said, "You probably would have reamed Roland a new one. A very _BIG_ new one."

Everyone laughed and even he laughed loud and hard.

When the laughter subsided, Marianne said to Bog, "I could feel you the whole time. I knew you where there and that is why I knew everything in that world was wrong. But when I found out that you were the key to everything, I didn't believe you were gone...until I saw for myself."

"I can't believe that my death set off such a chain of events that ended up corrupting both kingdoms."

Sugar Plum then said, "Now you see, Bog, how important your life is. And you see for yourself what life would be like without you. So everyone's life is important to varying degrees. It is just that I didn't realize myself how important your role is in this world either. The Fairy and Dark Forest Kingdoms were both very much dependent on your life."

"I didn't know that one person could be that important," Bog said. "I thought that if I disappeared, everyone's life would be better without me here. I was so wrong on so many levels and I have learned to appreciate life more."

"Well, you know as the saying goes, you best be careful what you wish for, you might get it."

Suddenly Bog and Marianne glared at Sugar Plum and said together, "You had something to do with this."

Marianne and Bog looked at one another and they were both getting ready to speak at the same time but stopped.

Marianne said, "You go first this time."

Bog's faced scowled as he said, "Last night I said 'I wish I wasn't alive anymore. The world is better off without a scaly back cockroach like me, you responded, "I have an idea." When I pursued that thought, you said, "You'll see."

As Bog reiterated what he heard back to Sugar Plum she began to sink lower and lower into her chair.

Marianne then said to Sugar plum, "You came to my room last night and told me what Bog said and what my thoughts were on that."

Bog had a puzzled look on his face when he realized that Sugar Plum also visited Marianne. Marianne noticed and said to him, "It crushed me when Sugar Plum told me that you said my life would be better without you."

Sugar Plum grimaced as she sank down until her head was even with the table and in meek voice she said, "Guilty as charged."

Marianne and Bog shouted together, "What?!"

Bog's face turned angry as he got up and said, "Have you any idea what the consequences of you your actions would be?"

"No I didn't. It was a scenario spell and it played out as it would in life if you weren't alive. Once in place there was nothing else that I had control over. I was just coming along for the ride. Had you died that day, when your castle collapsed on you, everything that followed would have come true."

Bog's eyes narrowed even more as he said, "Have you any idea the stress you put Marianne and myself through thinking she was married to that abomination to existence."

Marianne shot out of her seat, pointed her finger at Sugar Plum and yelled, "You made Bog cry! That's awful of you. He never cries."

Suddenly everyone looked with wide eyes to Bog, but his eyes were still focused on Sugar Plum and he started to make his way over to her. Marianne followed behind him and she was clenching her fists.

"Uhhh, guys...What are you going to do to me."

Bog said, "I don't know, I can think of a thousand things. How about you, my dear?"

"Me too," she said as she squeezed her fists so tight they made cracking sounds."

King Dagda stood up and shouted, "No one is doing anything to anyone, now two settle down."

Marianne and Bog returned to their seats.

Sugar Plum sighed, "Whew. Thank You K.D."

He looked over to her and said, "You're not out of the woods yet Plum. You have some nerve to get into people's heads when they sleep. I will deal with you later."

As Marianne and Bog returned to their seats, Dawn said to Bog, "You cried?"

He replied, "Well, I don't cry in real life mind you, but in the nightmare apparently I did. Remember I was seeing things through Marianne's eyes and when she cried...so did I."

All the women at the table went, "Awwwwwwww."

"Stop It's nothing really. Don't read into it."

Marianne said, "Don't say that Bog. It meant a lot to me because you felt something about what was happening to me. I know you really love me because of your reaction to my pain."

"Of course...any other guy in love would have probably reacted the same way. I might be the Bog King, but I am not that heartless."

"No...I knew you had a big heart, but now I know how big your heart is and I am loving every bit of that heart of yours."

"Again the women went, "Awwwwwww."

Bog smirked a bit as he glanced over to Marianne and said, "Thank you."

He then looked over to Sugar Plum and said, "Why did you go to Marianne's room and tell her what I told you?"

" I did that because she needed to know what you said to me in order for the spell to work."

King Dagda turned back to Sugar Plum and said, "Why on earth did you go to this extreme and put them through this?"

Sugar Plum nodded and then turned to Bog and said, "Well, when you told me that you wished you weren't alive and the world would be a better place without you, it gave me an idea as to what would life be without you. I figured if you realized how important your life would be and how much you mean to Marianne, that you both would make up. But I wanted you to see what you meant to the world. I just didn't how much of an impact you have on both kingdoms."

"Well, now you see for yourself what the truth is and going to that extreme wasn't necessary," Marianne said. "There wasn't a thought in my mind about leaving Bog. I was just a little upset with him and my mind preoccupied with what we were going to for Almsgiving Day."

Bog calmed down and swallowed hard and said, "Maybe it was necessary...for now I realize how much of an important part I play in everyone's lives. I am sorry everyone, especially you Marianne. I didn't know that I meant that much to this world."

Marianne looked to him and said, "The part in the nightmare is true when I said in that I don't want to know a life without you."

Suddenly Bog could feel his feelings well up inside of him again and he said, "And I want to be a part your life. The only reason why I said it in the first place was because everything went wrong, and then when I caused fire and everyone was angry with me for ruining everything...well, I just felt that I didn't deserve to live."

Marianne pointed her finger to him and said, "Don't ever think that ever again, you hear me. I need you...this world needs you and now you know what you mean to everyone."

"Yes, dear, I realize that now."

Marianne leaned over and planted a hug kiss on Bog's lips and everyone cheered.

After they kissed, Marianne then whipped around, pointed her finger at Sugar Plum and said, "And you, I am putting a ban on you doing any kind of activity that gets into people's heads. ….It hurts too much."

"Yes, your highness, I even promised myself I will not do it again...I even scared myself."

"Well spoken, my darling. I was going to say the same thing myself," her father said.

Marianne said, "Thank you dad."

Her father then said, "So then, with that all behind us, lets move forward...I am open to ideas as to what we are going to do for Almsgiving Day."

Bog stood up from his seat and said, "This is where I come in. If I may?"

"Ok, my friend, Go ahead"

"Fortunately as a united pair of kingdoms, we have two castles and as such two places to set up a feast. With the ballroom here damaged and with time being so short, we are going to move the entire event to my castle."

Bog continued to explain his plan and he made every possible attempt to be a part of the Almsgiving day events that he came up with most of the ideas himself. He had his entire clan of goblins make up the painted nuts. He made sure that none of the goblins complained. He even added his own touches by making things less gaudy, but still colorful. Dawn made up a new batch of garland with the other fairy women and the men made up most of the remaining decorations. The elves assisted Sunny and Grisela with preparations for the feast. Sugar Plum prepared an enormous vat of Egg Nog that was a special recipe that as she said, 'will warm the hearts of everyone'.

Dawn also assisted making garments for everyone so they would stay warm on the trip over to. She had an abundance of red green and white material to work with. The clothing was put together by the elves and fairies. Bog was involved with every part of the decorating process taking advice from his holiday advisor, Marianne. Through everyone's efforts, everything was ready for the day's events on time.

On Almsgiving day morning it was a pretty sight as all the fairies flew into the Dark Forest wearing their holiday outfits. Splashes of red green and white dotted the skies and also on the elf caravan on the ground. Even Lizzie wore a red and white hat with a white fluffy ball on the end to keep her head warm. The day came and went very fast and after a fulfilling feast everyone settled down for the actual giving event. The goblins didn't fully grasp the idea and many just watched, but Bog did well by his people by tossing a bunch of heat spheres into the water and they enjoyed a nice hot bath in the river in front of the castle. The heat from the river actually warmed the entire castle and kept everyone else warm inside.

As for Marianne and Bog. He designed her a new holiday dress for future Almsgiving day events. He also had another surprise for her. He made her close her eyes and then he pulled it out in front of him and told her to open her eyes.

Marianne lit up as she said, "My mother's present decoration! You fixed it!"

"Yes, I knew how much it meant to you, so I went back into the ballroom and found every single piece that broke off and put it back together myself."

"Oh, Bog...you are too sweet. Thank you so much! I have something for you too."

Marianne made him a new boutonnière also in the new holiday colors. On one leaf was an inscription that said, "To my beloved Bog. You will be forever in my heart."

When he read the words and thought back on the horrible nightmare he had with her...he knew he WAS in her heart and in her heart was a wonderful place to be. There was no better feeling in the world than being with his beloved Marianne.

His eyes started to well up, but true to his form, he held back as he leaned over and kissed Marianne on the lips.

As the day winded down it started to get very cold for the early evening. Marianne and Bog were cuddling on the balcony of his suite when suddenly Stuff and Thang came running into the back and Thang said, "Boss! You have to come outside and see this."

"No Thang, I am the king and I don't have to do anything. Right now I want to relax here with my lady. Besides we are keeping each other warm here and it is cold out there. So unless it is some kind of emergency, please leave us be."

"Uhhh, it's snowing out!"

"Now I know you are pulling my leg. It never snows down this far south," he said.

"Bog...I don't think they are pulling your leg...look!" Marianne said as she pointed to the skylight in the cavern.

Much to his disbelief Bog could see small white flakes slowly falling from the skylight. He suddenly jumped up, opened his wings and started to head for the cavern opening.

"Whoa woah, my love! Hold on, I want to see this too!" Marianne called back to him.

Upon exiting the castle, Bog flew up to the watchman's post and landed. Marianne followed and landed right next to him. All around as far as the eye can see the forest floor had a dusting of white snow on the ground and it was falling from the sky. King Dagda and Yara joined them via the inside walkway.

Bog said, "Well, I'll be damned. It IS snowing!"

The fairy king took a sip from his mug of egg nog and then laughed as he said, "Amazing! This is only the second time I have ever seen it snow out here. The last time it snowed here was back in 1977."

While it was very cold out and everyone was wearing long sleeve clothing and / or overcoats, Marianne found she was still shivering. Bog held her close to him to keep her warm.

Soon more and more fairies, elves and goblins came out to see the snow falling. There were may 'Oohs and Ahhh's" as to how everyone was reacting to the snow.

King Dagda just laughed took another sip of his Egg Nog and then he faced Marianne and Bog and suddenly he began to sing to them, but loud enough so those around could hear. He sang with a comical tone in his voice.

 **(Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! – Various)**

(King Dagda)

 _Oh the nightmare you had was frightful  
But the fire...was not so delightful_

(Everyone started to laugh at K.D.)

 _And since this was the place to go  
_

 _Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!_

 _It doesn't show signs of stopping_

(Bog decided to join in also following the King's comical take on the song)

 _(Bog)_

 _And I've walked in on a goblin that was plopping!_

(Marianne and many others in earshot began to laugh, but Dawn said, "Ewwwww!")

 _(K.D.)_

 _Lets turn the lights way down low_

 _(Bog, Marianne and K.D.)_

 _Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!_

(Marianne put her arm around Bog and she took the next verse)

 _(Marianne)_

 _When we finally kiss goodnight (Muhhhahh)_

(She quickly kissed Bog on the lips.)

 _How I'll hate going out in the storm!  
But if you'll really hold me tight_

(Bog gave Marianne a bear hug and she said,

"Oh! Bog I need to breathe!"

Everyone laughed)

 _All the way home I'll be warm!  
_

 _(K.D.)_

 _The time, my friends, is flying_

(He turned to Marianne)

 _And, my dear, we will be goodbying  
But as long as you love me so_

(Marianne said, "I will always love you, Dad")

 _(Everyone yelled out)_

 _Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!_

King Dagda pointed out to the crowd and said, "Y'all got that right!"

Everyone cheered and laughed, there was a warm feeling in the air. Bog looked around and watched as his goblins, the elves and even the fairies were playing in the snow. He looked around and with the light dusting of snow on the ground even he, the Bog King admitted to himself that the Dark Forest never looked more beautiful and he just took it all in.

Marianne looked to Bog and said, "You have a smile on your face that is a mile wide."

"Well, I had fun today. This was a really good event!"

"You see! Two days ago you were knocking the holiday and you were ready write it off as some cheesy event."

"Ok Ok...I was wrong this time, and you were right."

Yara took a hold of King Dagda's arm and he said, "Well, I don't know about you two, but Yara and I are going back inside, I am freezing my culyouns off out here."

Bog called back to him out loud, "Oh! Just don't sit down so fast, the impact might shatter them."

The king burst out laughing and so did everyone else in ear shot. Marianne shook her head and arched her shoulders forward as she laughed too.

Dawn was flying close to the guard post trying to take a bite out of the snowflakes that were falling, she called back and said, "Dad, what's a culyoun? Is that an Almsgiving Day thing?"

He said, "Never you mind, darling, go play. It's an adult thing."

"Hey! I am nineteen! I'm practically an adult."

Marianne chuckled as she said, "You know she is going to ask me what it is later."

Dawn flew up to the railing and said, "Yup!"

Bog said, "I think we all had too much of Sugar Plum's Egg Nog."

Marianne crossed her arms across her chest, raised her eyebrows and said, "You think?"

Everyone laughed again.

K.D. said to Bog, "Oh another thing about having too much Egg Nog, my friend."

"What's that?" Bog asked.

"You might get run over by a reindeer!"

Everyone burst out laughing.

King Dagda proceeded to go back inside of the castle. Marianne and Bog were the only two left on the guard post and he held her close as they looked out and watched everyone playing in the snow. He saw Brutus had his mouth open and low to the ground as he was scooping up the fallen snow directly into his mouth as he walked forward. But because it was only a dusting of snow, he was pickup up the snow, dirt and small rocks into his mouth too."

Bog pointed and said to Marianne, "Oh, look dear, Brutus is a power shovel."

She let out a hearty laugh and the huge smile on her face made him laugh too. But then he got lost in her golden brown eyes and her laughter dimmed and she looked into his eyes.

"Hon?"

"Yes, dear."

"I'm not cold anymore."

"Me either. I think all the laughter warmed us up...either that or it was the Egg Nog."

Marianne giggled as she nodded in agreement. She nestled her head back into his chest and sighed, "Ahhhhh, This turned out to be such a great day."

"Yes, despite what happened in the days leading up to this, it did turn out great."

Marianne reached up and gave him a short kiss on the lips.

"Marianne, dear?"

"Yes, hon?"

"What's a reindeer?"

TEA BLEND

(with a hint of Sugar Plum's Egg Nog)

(The End)

 _ **Authors note:**_ It was my love for these holiday classic films that have made this short story possible.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas – Dr. Seuss

A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

It's A Wonderful Life – Frank Capra

Songs:

"Without You" – Nilsson

"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" – Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne

Song reference – "Grandma Got Runover By A Reindeer" – Elmo And Patsy

Also all references to Strange Magic characters and places belong to Walt Disney Co / Lucasfilms L.T. D.

Actual story content is original and belongs to me. Please do not copy or borrow any part of this document in part or whole without my written permission.


End file.
